ABSTRACT - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT (COE) The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center (O’Neal) catchment area (CA) is the state of Alabama (AL). This geographic region includes 67 counties (29 metro, 22 non-metro urban, 16 non-metro rural) and is home to over 4.9 million residents. The population includes 65.5% non-Hispanic Whites, 26.6% non-Hispanic Blacks, 4.3% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, 0.5% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.05% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders, and 1.9% 2 or more races. More than 41% of the population lives in a rural community and 59% live in a medically underserved area. AL has the 8th highest overall cancer mortality burden in the US. Cancer mortality varies by county, with only six of 67 counties with a cancer mortality rate at or below the US average. Cancer mortality also varies by race/ethnicity and rural residence. As such, O’Neal targets seven cancers (lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, cervical, brain, and multiple myeloma) based on higher cancer incidence and/or mortality and/or significant racial/ethnic and geographic disparities. Baskin CCPS Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) leads the integration of COE into all aspects of O’Neal including the four research programs, clinical care, and overall strategic planning. COE is informed by a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of demographically diverse members across the CA and a Community Engagement Committee (CEC) including members of the O’Neal Board, UAB Health System, and Program Leaders. These groups help insure that the needs of our diverse stakeholders are considered in program development and decision-making. The Office of COE includes 28 FTEs and is organized into four primary areas: outreach and education, prevention and care navigation, community-engaged research support, and community needs assessment and evaluation. Specific aims are: (1) Understand the unique characteristics and needs of our CA; (2) Promote and support collaborative and cross-disciplinary research to address cancer disparities; and (3) Implement evidence-based practices to reduce cancer burden among in our CA and beyond. To achieve these aims, we leverage our long-standing community-engaged infrastructure and collaborate with local, state, regional, and national organizations to advance policies and practices to decrease cancer burden and eliminate cancer disparities. COE impact over the current CCSG cycle is evident in our expanded reach (community members, patients, partnerships); increased navigation to breast, cervical, and lung cancer screening; increased minority clinical trial accrual; and increased collaboration on catchment-relevant research. Going forward, we will: enhance our CA needs assessment; further the integration of COE into O’Neal research programs and the CSL; increase coordination of efforts to increase diversity of patients and clinical trial participants; and increase outreach and engagement to other marginalized groups (e.g., L...