Transforming cancer clinical trials through education, leadership, and community partnerships
Official title: Driving Transformation in NCI-sponsored Clinical Trials through Education, Leadership, and Community Partnership: An NCI-R50 Clinical-Scientist Award
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11447171 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant supports expanding patient access to NCI-sponsored cancer trials by empowering Early-Stage Investigators and strengthening community partnerships at a major cancer center.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $129,194 |
| NIH project number | 1R50CA318775-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447171 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with cancer who live in Massey’s geographic service area and are eligible for NCI-sponsored trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not currently considered eligible for trials or outside Massey’s service area may not see direct benefits.
What this research studies
As part of Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Clinical Trials Office will grow its involvement in NCI trials by mentoring new investigators and building leadership in trial design and conduct. A dedicated Clinical Investigator Pathways in Oncology program will train ESIs, create networking and sponsorship avenues, and deepen collaborations with community physicians. The goal is to decentralize trial access and bring cutting-edge treatments closer to patients across the region. Patients may benefit from increased trial availability and more opportunities to participate in state-of-the-art cancer research. This effort will focus on both NCTN and ETCTN networks to enhance enrollment and trial execution across Massey’s service area.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Patients could have greater access to innovative cancer treatments through more trials and faster enrollment pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs in cancer centers have shown that targeted education and community partnerships can increase trial enrollment and leadership opportunities.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maher, Keri R — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Maher, Keri R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.