# Community Engagement Core

> **NIH NIH P20** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $156,913

## Abstract

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE: PROJECT SUMMARY
Lung cancer disparities are attributed to various factors that exist across the continuum from prevention to
survivorship. Addressing these disparities requires a collaborative approach that integrates expertise of
community residents and scientists. Incorporating tenets from an innovative Community-to-Bench framework,
the TRACER leadership proposes the Community Engagement Core (CE) to support its research goals and
more importantly, to ensure the long term impact of closing the gap in these disparities as a result of the research.
The overall goals of CE Core are to connect scientists and community stakeholders, translate and disseminate
TRACER research findings, and co-develop innovative strategies to do this within the context of addressing lung
cancer disparities. Under the leadership of an experienced multidisciplinary team and in partnership with
multiregional advisory boards, the CE Core will execute the following aims: Aim 1: Facilitate the integration of
the CE Core services across other TRACER research projects/pilots and cores. The CE Core will assist research
project investigators with recruitment and provide training on translation and dissemination of findings to
communities. Additionally, the Core, including community members, will educate investigators on how to employ
community outreach and engagement (COE) into their research using an investigator-developed, web-based
educational tool, COE 101. Lastly, the CE Core will provide training for the Biospecimen/Pathology Core that
focuses on recruiting underrepresented groups to provide biospecimens and aid with incorporating community
engagement approaches, recruiting participants, and disseminating findings for the pilot research projects
supported with the Developmental Research Program (DRP). Aim 2. Provide technical assistance and training
to community stakeholders so that they can support TRACER-sponsored research projects and cores. CE Core
investigators will identify and train community residents as lung health research champions. Together, they will
educate community organizations about the grant writing process, provide seed grants to community
organizations for lung cancer education, awareness, and other relevant activities, provide tobacco cessation
services, and build capacity for lung cancer screening navigation. Aim 3: Facilitate the translation and
dissemination of TRACER findings to address biological, environmental, behavioral, and clinical knowledge gaps
across the lung cancer continuum. The CE Core will use evidence-based models of dissemination and
implementation for the successful translation of research findings to effective interventions at the clinical and
community level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10493300
- **Project number:** 5P20CA252717-02
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** VANESSA B SHEPPARD
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $156,913
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-20 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10493300

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10493300, Community Engagement Core (5P20CA252717-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10493300. Licensed CC0.

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