2022 Community Impact Research Grants

Promoting Cancer Equity in California Request for Proposals

In recent years, the incidence and mortality for most types of cancer in California have declined; however, disparities persist for historically marginalized communities. For example, the cancer incidence rate for all cancers combined is lower among Black women and men compared to non-Hispanic White women and men, but death rates are higher. The Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI), Population Sciences Program and Community Outreach and Engagement, and the Center for Population Health Sciences (PHS) are pleased to offer a call for cancer health equity proposals. Applicants can respond to one or more of the tracks outlined below. The Stanford Cancer Institute serves Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced counties, prioritizing lung, breast, pancreatic, liver, and lymphoma cancers. For both tracks, we welcome proposals that focus on these counties and priority cancers.

Grand Challenge awards will be granted for 2 years and up to $100,000. Seed grant awards will be granted for 1 year and up to $40,000.  Proposals are due Friday, October 14th, 2022, 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Track #1: Community-Driven Cancer Equity Grand Challenge

Track 1 is in direct response to a community-driven grand challenge. This year, we are partnering with the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium, comprising eleven local public health jurisdictions dedicated to advancing health equity, to understand and address the impact of wildfire smoke on underserved communities in the San Joaquin Valley region. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country. However, it also faces significant environmental and socio-economic challenges. The region has the worst air quality in the United States, and many of its counties have a high percentage of residents living below the federal poverty line. Climate change has increased the frequency and duration of wildfires in the region. Fire season is now two months longer than in previous years. With few options for avoiding these environmental hazards, agricultural workers, fire personnel, and other vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by wildfire exposures.

The Consortium seeks to learn how this increase in wildfires has affected cancer prevention and control in these populations and what strategies can be used to reduce these risks. This specific grand challenge is motivated by the overarching goal of understanding and addressing the impact of climate change on cancer disparities in the region (i.e., proposals could have a broader focus).

Proposals responsive to our partner's interests may take many forms (e.g., analytic projects, more conceptual projects, etc.). While a community-based participatory research approach is not required, awardees will be expected to present their results to the Consortium upon completion of the project.

Track #2:  Cancer Health Equity Seed Grants

We invite the submission of seed grant proposals to address and reduce cancer disparities among underserved populations in California. Applicants are not limited to a specific topic, cancer type, or study design. However, preference will be given to proposals that focus on counties served by the Stanford Cancer Institute and/or the following priority areas:

• Understanding and addressing structural and institutional factors that drive cancer disparities in persistent poverty areas. Proposals may focus on investigating the effects of poverty and its associated factors at the structural and institutional levels, including, but not limited to, the following: 1) residential segregation; 2) institutional/systemic racism; and 3) interrelated factors inherent to the economy such as employment, income, and education inequality.  A list of persistent poverty areas can be found here.
   
• Promoting cancer health equity in the San Joaquin Valley region. SCI and PHS are seeking projects that, as they scale, are likely to yield actionable research that can be utilized by key stakeholders to promote cancer health equity in the San Joaquin Valley region (background about this region is provided under Track #1). Proposals are not required to focus on San Joaquin Valley, but their findings should be applicable to the region.
   
• Leveraging real-world data to reduce cancer disparities in California. We are interested in supporting innovative projects that harness real-world data to reduce cancer disparities in underserved Northern Californian communities (especially in counties served by SCI). For example, applicants could propose a blueprint for co-creating a data ecosystem that, as its implemented and reaches maturity, can provide secure and easy access to a diverse portfolio of cancer-related datasets or develop a use case that has the potential to scale.

Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals:

• Potential impact. As the project evolves into a larger full-scale project, is the knowledge gained from the project likely to inform cancer-related policy, practice, and/or paradigms?
• Cancer health equity focus. Does the project have the potential to generate knowledge that can contribute to the promotion of cancer health equity?
• Community engagement. Have key stakeholders been identified and engaged in the proposal and are there plans for fostering bi-directional partnerships throughout the project?
• Methods. Can the project goals and objectives be met utilizing the proposed study design and methods?
• Scope and budget. Can the project be successfully implemented within the proposed timeline and budget?
• Contribution to investigator’s training. Will the project facilitate new collaborative work for the investigator in cancer disparities research?
• Potential to lead to longer-term projects. Is the project likely to develop into a longer-term, comprehensive, collaborative project?

In addition to the above criteria, Grand Challenge proposals will be evaluated on their responsiveness to the Consortium’s interests.

Amount and Period of Funding

• Grand Challenge awards will be granted for 2 years and up to $100,000. The award period is March 1, 2023 -February 28, 2025.  
• Seed grant awards will be granted for 1 year and up to $40,000. The award period is March 1, 2023 - February 29, 2024.  
• All unexpended funds will be forfeited if not spent within the award period. We encourage investigators to consider submitting requests less than the maximum, as this will increase the probability of being funded and will enable us to award more grants.

Important Dates

• Information session: August 31, 2022 11:00am-12:00pm Pacific Time.
  • Refer to the link here for the information session presentation slides and recording.
• All proposals are due on Friday, October 14th, 2022, at 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
   

Applications must follow the guidelines below (click here to apply)

• Format
  • Page specifications
    • 8.5 x 11” page size
    • At least 0.5” margins on all sides
    • At least 11-point font size
  • Save your documents as PDFs (or Excel for the budget) and upload to the Seed Funding application (online submission)
     
• A cover sheet (1-page limit; upload as a single PDF) that includes:
  • Title of proposal
  • PI name title, email and department
  • Co-PI, Mentor name (if applicable) and co-investigator names, departments and emails
  • 4-sentence summary of proposed project
  • Amount of funding requested
     
• Body of proposal (3-page limit; upload as a single PDF) 
  • Please answer the following questions:
    • Potential impact. As the project evolves into a larger full-scale project, is the knowledge gained from the project likely to inform cancer-related policy, practice, and/or paradigms?
    • Cancer health equity focus. Does the project have the potential to generate knowledge that can contribute to the promotion of cancer health equity?
    • Community engagement. Have key stakeholders been identified and engaged in the proposal and are there plans for fostering bi-directional partnerships throughout the project?
    • Methods. How will the proposed study design and methods ensure you are able to achieve your project goals and objectives?
    • Scope and budget. What is your plan for completing the project within the one-year time frame? What is your proposed high-level budget?
    • Contribution to investigator’s training. Will the project facilitate new collaborative work for the investigator in cancer disparities research?
    • Potential to lead to longer-term projects. What steps will you take to help ensure the project develops into a longer-term, comprehensive, collaborative project?
    • Human subjects. If applicable, have you applied for or received human subjects approval (please provide your application, approval, or exemption reference information)?
       
• Budget (not part of 3-page limit; upload as a single Excel file) Use provided budget template here.
  • Allowable expenditures include investigator’s salary, research personnel salaries, travel (if project-related) and project supplies.
    • Budget should include some measurable effort for Principal Investigators (PIs), Co-PIs, and other personnel performing work (associate director and program manager can advise, if needed).​
  • Unallowable expenditures include capital equipment costing more than $5,000, intellectual property services, and food.
  • Do not include indirect cost expenses.
  • Use of gift cards will not be permitted.
     
• Budget Justification (not part of 3-page limit; upload as a single PDF): Use provided justification template.
   
• Proposal Routing Form (not part of 3-page limit). Please download, complete, and attach the Proposal Routing Form (available at https://med.stanford.edu/cancer/research/funding.html).
   
• Bios (1-paragraph maximum for each key personnel; upload as a single PDF file) are required for the PI, Co-PI(s), and each key personnel involved in the Pilot Project. Bios are not part of the 3-page limit.

Notes

• Figures and tables included within the body of the proposal will count towards the 3-page limit.
• References may be included and are not part of the page limit.
• Do not include appendices to the proposal.
• If human subjects are involved you must submit your eProtocol application or approval reference information before funds can be distributed.
• Applications that do not comply with the above requirements will not be considered for review.

Questions

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Lesley Sept, Executive Director, Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences, at stanpophealth@stanford.edu