Building on established community partnerships, the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer III: Community Networks Program (NBLIC III: CNP) at the Morehouse School of Medicine is a large-scale national Community Networks Program (CNP) aimed at reducing cancer health disparities among African Americans. The 17-year-old National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer (NBLIC) will utilize its core infrastructure, which includes a National Office; three Regional Research Offices (e.g., Morehouse School of Medicine/Southern; University of Illinois at Chicago/Midwestern; Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science/Western; and Eastern, with support from the National Office); and 45 volunteer community coalitions in 30 states to reach its overall goal of reducing cancer health disparities for African Americans by developing collaborations that enhance existing community partnerships. These partnerships will address the disconnect between delivery systems and community-based participatory education, research and training in the African-American community.
Junior and mid-level academic researchers will be recruited via consortium institutions, clinical partners, and health professions-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Community coalition researchers will be recruited via NBLIC III Regional Research Offices. Community observational studies and intervention trials will focus on those cancer sites with greatest disparity in screening rates and morbidity/mortality. Cancer education activities will include NBLIC II cancer education interventions (e.g., Stay Beautiful/Stay Alive, breast/cervical; Down Home Healthy Living, colorectal; Clearing the Air, lung; and For Men Only, prostate). Both academic and community researchers will be provided Technical Assistance Workshops through online and regional training opportunities in areas related to grantsmanship. Baseline cancer screening practices are obtained in each research community to present to policy/decision makers in order to measure success in lowering cancer disparities.