About The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) in 2001 to help reduce the unequal burden of cancer in our society by:

Leading NCI’s efforts in workforce diversity by training students and investigators from diverse backgrounds.
Strengthening NCI’s cancer research portfolio in basic, clinical, translational, and population-based research to address cancer health disparities through collaborations with NCI Divisions, Offices, and Centers.
Building regional networks to foster collaboration, enhance capacity in disparities research and career development, and disseminate culturally appropriate, evidence-based cancer information to underserved communities.
Providing technical expertise, information, and advice to NCI leadership on strategic priorities, program direction, and scientific policy to strengthen diversity training opportunities and cancer health disparities research.

Quick Facts

Since 1999, CRCHD’s Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program has provided biomedical research training and career development funding opportunities to more than 3,000 underrepresented scholars from high school through investigator level.
CRCHD supports 25 partnerships among investigators at institutions that serve communities with cancer health disparities, including communities served by NCI-Designated Cancer Centers, through its Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (PACHE) program.
CRCHD established seven regional networks to foster collaboration, resource-sharing, and capacity-building among cancer health disparities researchers, trainees, outreach workers, and organizations through the Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP).
CRCHD funds more than 50 community health educators (CHEs) at 38 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers who serve as critical links between disparities researchers and racially and ethnically diverse local communities through the National Outreach Network (NON).

See our fact sheets for additional information about CRCHD programs, initiatives, and funding opportunities.