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.