# 2/2 Ponce Health Sciences University-Moffitt Cancer Center Partnership

> **NIH NIH U54** · H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST · 2024 · $1,316,605

## Abstract

ABSTRACT | OVERALL
The Hispanic/Latino (H/L) communities in the Ponce and Tampa Bay regions experience both shared and unique
challenges associated with poverty, access to care, and language. The Ponce Health Sciences University
(PHSU) in Puerto Rico (PR) and the Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) in Florida have forged a strong relationship
and leveraged their respective strengths and resources to address these needs with the ultimate goal of
eliminating cancer health disparities. The 15-year Partnership has established joint programs for basic and
clinical research, cancer outreach, cancer education, and training, and biobanking, building networks of
investigators focused on cancer disparities and infrastructure for sustained long-term collaboration. Combined
with the establishment and growth of a unique biobanking resource for H/L and the integration of quantitative
sciences expertise, this dynamic environment is a catalyst for the recruitment of new faculty at PHSU in basic
and translational cancer research, increases the health disparities research focus at MCC and stimulates
innovative cancer research. To ensure a durable impact, the Partnership fosters the development of cancer
researchers and clinicians through an exchange of research and medical trainees between institutions and
supporting the successful advancement of Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs). The Partnership and our outreach
activities continue to be integral in promoting cancer health in our H/L communities and has provided vital support
for overcoming two major hurricanes, devastating earthquakes, and the COVID pandemic. The challenges,
achievements, and lessons learned to provide a strong basis to guide the evolution and further expansion of this
Partnership, whose primary goals are to reduce cancer disparities in the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) communities and
to contribute to the elimination of health disparities in the population at large. The specific aims for the U54
Partnership renewal are (1) Increase Partnership investigators and collaborations committed to innovative
cancer health disparities research, creating long-term sustainability. This will be accomplished through the
engagement of faculty and ESIs with resources to support collaborations, grant preparations, publications, and
networking. (2) Identify and foster the growth of diverse trainees for a career in cancer research and health
disparities. We will support the recruitment and development of trainees from diverse backgrounds across the
career continuum with an emphasis on H/L. (3) Support novel research projects that will contribute to the
identification and elimination of cancer health disparities in H/L. We will foster the development of projects
that investigate the biological basis, psychological and social factors of cancer disparities through a rigorous
evaluation of research projects that have the potential to reduce specific disparity gaps. (4) Increase community
engagement in cancer health disparities resear...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10931457
- **Project number:** 5U54CA163068-12
- **Recipient organization:** H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CTR & RES INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Julie Dutil
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,316,605
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-09-24 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10931457

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10931457, 2/2 Ponce Health Sciences University-Moffitt Cancer Center Partnership (5U54CA163068-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10931457. Licensed CC0.

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