PORTLAND, Ore. – The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University awarded grant funding to 13 projects statewide through its Community Partnership Program.
The Community Partnership Program provides grants and other resources to community-led projects addressing cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship. Community organizations received support for a range of projects including an assessment of the need to increase HPV vaccinations in adolescents, a cancer resource center that serves the Asian community, a rural after-school pilot program to increase physical activity in youth and development of culturally appropriate cancer information for Latino cancer survivors and co-survivors. A number of projects also focus on reducing tobacco use in the state.
These projects address a variety of cancer types and will serve Oregonians in different age, race and ethnic groups who are living in rural and urban communities. Organizations funded have the potential to serve every county in Oregon.
"The proposals we received bring to life the extent of unmet needs throughout the state,” said Jackilen Shannon, Ph.D., R.D., whose roles at OHSU include serving as co-director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program and director of the Knight Community Engaged Research Program. "The projects chosen represent many cancer types and populations and reflect the distinct cancer-related needs of Oregonians.”
The Community Partnership Program differs from many other community grants programs in that multiple tiers of funding offer a way for organizations start at the idea phase of a project and then build an effective solution to their cancer-related need that remains in their community. Organizations with funded projects are also connected to education programs that increase their capacity and knowledge for developing effective programs, provided with networking opportunities and are connected with OHSU faculty who provide expertise matched to their project needs.
"As the program grows, we will encourage the leaders of newly funded projects to collaborate with prior grantees to learn from their experiences and to build a growing network of communities who are tackling cancer across the state. We also look forward to growing and fostering new collaborations between the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and grantees who are leading this important work in our communities,” said Kerri Winters-Stone, Ph.D., co-director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program and co-leader of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control Program. "We are proud to have this program continue to support communities to address cancer needs throughout the state.”
Organizations that received funding are:
American Cancer Society (Great West Division)*
Tillamook Regional Medical Center
American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific
Coos Health & Wellness
Deschutes County Health Services
Eastern Oregon University
Asian Health & Service Center
Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance
Hood River County
Crook County
Mid-Columbia Medical Center
Familias En Acción
Learn more about the projects funded.
*Funded for two separate proposals
About the Knight Cancer Institute
The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a pioneer in the field of precision cancer medicine. The institute's director, Brian Druker, M.D., helped prove it was possible to shut down cells that enable cancer to grow without harming healthy cells. This breakthrough has led to new treatments that make once-fatal forms of the disease manageable. Building on this scientific leadership, the institute is launching a large-scale research program dedicated to advancing precision early detection of lethal cancers, one of the most significant unmet needs in cancer care. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle – an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers. It is also headquarters for SWOG, one of the NCI's largest research cooperatives. In addition to its robust research programs, the institute offers the latest treatments and technologies as well as hundreds of clinical trials.
