Integrated Networks
What is the Integrated Networks Program (INP)?
The field of cancer health disparities is complex and affected by a multitude of health, biological, environmental, and social factors. To help advance understanding of the many causes of cancer disparities, including biological and nonbiological bases of cancer incidence and progression, CRCHD created the Integrated Networks Program (INP). This program focuses on promoting and facilitating new and ongoing linkages among cancer health disparities research, diversity training, community education and outreach, and information dissemination with the aim of reducing and ultimately eliminating cancer health disparities.
There are two network programs and one collaborative initiative within INP:
Geographical Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP)
National Outreach Network (NON)
NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP)
What are the goals of INP?
- Forge new alliances across disciplines and programs to develop a coordinated, transdisciplinary approach to conducting research, training, outreach and education, and information dissemination for cancer health disparities reduction.
- Develop opportunities for leveraging resources, conducting research and training, and enhancing collaboration and partnerships among biologically, clinically, and behaviorally focused researchers, practitioners (including lay community practitioners), trainees, and community leaders.
- Maintain and expand ongoing communication/dissemination linkages and foster dialogue with racial/ethnic and other diverse populations, including the underserved, to improve community outreach, cancer information dissemination, and cancer public education efforts.
What are the plans for the future?
- Design online social networking tools to help scientists identify potential collaborators.
- Create centralized databases of measures and instruments for team-based science.
What are the benefits of an integrated strategy?
The Integrated Networks Program (INP) offers many benefits:
- Better-designed, collaborative research studies.
- Increased faculty participation in research.
- Enhancements to education, including smoother transitioning of undergraduate-level through to advanced-level students/trainees in cancer health disparities research.
- Increased access to shared resources.
- Lower costs of community engagement by all partners.
- Improved tracking and support of patients who move between jurisdictions for treatment and screening.
- Expanded capacity for unaddressed community issues.
