# Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network (C3EN)

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2021 · $4,195,279

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Health disparities in the burden of multiple chronic conditions for low-income and racial/ethnic minority groups
are pervasive and have their roots in social determinants of health and unequal access to evidence-based health
care services during critical periods of life. A long history of racial segregation in the Chicago region has resulted
in neighborhoods that are disproportionately burdened by poverty and related social determinants of health as
well as poor access to high quality health resources. Unequal distribution of resources across the Chicago region
results in geographic “hotspots” where high numbers of residents suffer from multiple cardiometabolic conditions.
Innovative local solutions are necessary to bridge gaps in the healthcare system, gaps in the traditional approach
to delivering preventive and management services, and gaps generated by the traditional siloed approach to
science. The Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network (C3EN) will address these gaps by strengthening
collaborations across community-based organizations, practice networks, and academic researchers, by
promoting a comprehensive approach to the prevention and management of multiple chronic conditions that
accounts for mental health, functional health and social life, and by supporting interventions that actively seek to
cross boundaries of disease-specific management, professional training, community and practice. This network
will be the communication channel for multi-directional exchange of ideas regarding how to address disparities
in communities, the community-based research network where both pilot studies and larger regional studies of
scalable interventions will take place, and the training ground for new investigators. Our research projects have
been selected to demonstrate our scientific thematic interest in promoting a comprehensive view of health that
acknowledges the importance of physical, psychological, and social functioning as outcomes as well as potential
avenues for health improvement. The C3EN will benefit from a foundation of multiple institutes and centers at
the University of Chicago and Rush that set the stage for conducting interdisciplinary research aligned with public
health goals of the Chicago region, inter-institutional collaboration, and models for training programs. Our
Center’s Specific Aims are: 1) To build a Chicago regional community-based research network based on
collaborations with key stakeholder groups including community-based organizations, networks of ambulatory
practices, and academic institutions, to identify innovative, effective, and scalable interventions that reduce
disparities for multiple chronic conditions; 2) To provide cutting edge research support and expertise
(intersectoral health, informatics, implementation science, community-resource referral software systems,
remote sensor technology) to facilitate chronic condition health disparities research conducted across practice
networks, in c...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10437368
- **Project number:** 1P50MD017349-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** ELBERT S. HUANG
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $4,195,279
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-24 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10437368

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10437368, Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network (C3EN) (1P50MD017349-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10437368. Licensed CC0.

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