First NCI Health Disparity Grants

BETHESDA, Maryland-Two medical facilities have received the first grants awarded by the National Cancer Institute’s Cooperative Planning Grant for Cancer Disparities Research Partnerships (CDRP). The 5-year, $27 million program provides support for radiation oncology clinical research at institutions that have not traditionally participated in NCI-sponsored studies. The two grants, totaling more than $2.5 million, went to the Rapid City Regional Hospital in South Dakota ($1,404,486), which serves a largely Native American population, and the Mercy Health Center, Laredo, Texas ($1,120,013), which serves a largely Hispanic community.