Science of Community Outreach and Engagement (SoCOE) Conference

PROJECT SUMMARY Community outreach and engagement (COE) has become the gold standard in addressing health disparities and closing the health gaps in minoritized and marginalized communities. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) encourages all NCI-designated Cancer Centers to foster and share “COE knowledge-base, best practices, and tools” for adoption, adaptation and implementation by other NCI-designated cancer centers, the scientific community and the public at large to advance progress against the burden of cancer and cancer risk factors. Unfortunately, there have been limited nation-wide opportunities to facilitate mutual learning of COE knowledge, best practices and tools by COE administrators, COE researchers, COE professionals, cancer survivors, cancer advocates and community stakeholders. The Science of Community Outreach and Engagement (SoCOE) conference is proposed by the Alliance of Black COE Scientific Directors who lead COE Offices and Programs in several NCI designated Cancer Centers serving minority, rural and marginalized communities across the United States. The primary objective of the conference is to provide a platform for COE academic-community stakeholders to share best practices and recommendations that will address inequities in cancer prevention, early detection, care and survivorship in Black communities. A five- year conference funding is requested to support the SoCOE conference, with the 1st conference proposed to be hosted by the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center from May 8 to 10, 2024, in Florida, United States. Subsequent conferences will focus on: Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Cancer Care and Research (2025); Innovative Approaches to Social Determinants of Health (2026); Precision Oncology/Genetics in Cancer Care (2027); and Community Outreach and Engagement: Strategies for Global Oncology (2028). Led by outstanding health equity researchers and COE scientific directors, the SoCOE conference will foster the development of sustainable and culturally-responsive resources to facilitate COE in Black communities, including: (1) human capital; (2) finances/funding mechanisms; (3) effective recruitment, enrollment and retention approaches; (4) information systems; (5) regulatory pathways; and (6) institutional collaborations. Additional tangible outcomes are published meeting proceedings, collaborations among conference participants, and increased expertise among participants. We expect a minimum of 250 delegates to participate in the conference.