Modified Project Summary/Abstract OUTREACH The overarching goal of the Community Collaborations Core (CCC) is to ensure that the H-H U54 fosters and sustains community trust in cancer research and care delivery. The CCC will support meaningful community–academic collaborations, facilitate access to summer research experiences for high school students, and maintain a strong presence in the community to increase access to information, resources, and state-of-the-art cancer services. To achieve these objectives, the CCC will work with established community partners in the DC–Baltimore region to develop a multi-year, research-informed outreach and engagement strategy. Activities will include public-facing engagement, aligning research with community-identified priorities, and collaborating with external organizations that address broader factors influencing cancer outcomes. Promoting bidirectional exchange between researchers and community members will improve research quality by incorporating locally relevant perspectives. Community input will also be integrated into the review of new H-H U54 pilot proposals. Through coordination with the Research Education Core and the Research Opportunity and Innovation at Johns Hopkins and Howard Universities (ROI@J-HU) platform, the CCC will build pathways between youth-serving organizations and educational initiatives to expose students to STEM-related career opportunities. ROI@J-HU will serve as the training and mentorship framework to connect community-facing programs with structured opportunities in cancer research and education. Community-guided outreach and education activities will also support the long-term goal of positioning H-H U54 institutions as trusted contributors to advancing cancer research and care across the region. The Core’s approach is collaborative and integrative, reflecting the complexity of cancer-related challenges and the need for coordinated, community-centered solutions.
