SIP 24-003 Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) Coordinating & Collaborating Centers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT For more than 20 years, the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) has been a national leader in developing and implementing effective interventions that decrease the burden of cancer in diverse and medically underserved communities. Since 2004, the University of North Carolina (UNC) has hosted both the CPCRN Coordinating Center and a Collaborating Center (Comprehensive Cancer Control Collaborative of North Carolina (4CNC)). 4CNC's work in the last cycle included co-leading 6 work groups, producing 161 peer- reviewed publications (41 cross-center publications), and completing a successful core project which subsequently led directly to a multicenter NCI-funded R01. The Coordinating Center's work included shepherding more than 200 members through a workgroup formation consensus process, supporting workgroup communication and functioning, sharing resources, and implementing, evaluating the implementation of the strategic plan of CPCRN, and coordinating the publication of a 21-article supplement in Cancer Causes & Control featuring 118 unique CPCRN members as authors. UNC as the Coordinating Center demonstrated our ability to achieve these functions, while maintaining stability during the COVID19 pandemic and despite significant turnover in network membership between funding cycles. Given our strong history of supporting collaboration while embracing new members and innovative ideas, we are well prepared to guide the Network through another transition because of our long history as committed stewards of the CPCRN's mission, vision, and action plan. The overarching goal of the Network and the UNC Collaborating Center and Coordinating Center is to reduce the burden of cancer through the development, dissemination, and implementation of community-engaged, evidence-based interventions. Our specific aims are to: (1) Develop and pilot test the Pharmacy-Assisted Cessation of Tobacco and Screening (PACTS) intervention to increase access to lung cancer screening shared decision-making in medically underserved populations through integration with pharmacy-based tobacco cessation programs. (Collaborating Center); (2) Lead and collaborate in community-engaged, cross-center projects to improve cancer prevention and control (Collaborating Center); (3) Facilitate and support collaborative research linkages among Network members, Network Affiliates, Scholars and national, state, and local community partners to advance the implementation of proven cancer prevention and control strategies in practice and policy (Coordinating Center); and (4) Evaluate and disseminate the products and impact of Network activities (Coordinating Center). The expected long-term impact of this work is the significant reduction in cancer burden and cancer health disparities achieved through collective network contributions to science, practice and policy that extend beyond what any individual center could achieve on its own.