Abstract B067: Community outreach and engagement in a multi-institutional cancer partnership: Lesson from two decades of partnership and practice

Community outreach and engagement within a partnership structure is conceptualized, implemented, and evolves through relationships among partner groups, which are in turn affected by their institutional and geographic contexts. Furthermore, factors like leadership style and partner areas of expertise influence the scope and level of representation of community partners within a multi-institutional research partnership. The Meharry-Vanderbilt-TSU Cancer Partnership is the longest-standing, continuously funded Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) site. The goal of this project is to understand the role of community outreach and engagement within the MVTCP, and how it has grown and evolved over time. The MVTCP Planning & Evaluation Core conducted interviews (n=41) with MVTCP partnership members (including faculty, staff, students, and community advisory board members) between June and September 2024 as part of a broader study on partnership impact. For the sub-study proposed in this abstract, we analyzed 12 interviews with faculty and community advisory board members who played key roles in shaping and supporting community outreach and engagement of the MVTCP over time. Emerging themes include partner expectations regarding community outreach and engagement; partner definitions of community engagement; understanding how engagement practices influenced partnership behaviors; and community contributions. Findings will inform improvement processes and efforts to continue to build a sustainable partnership that addresses cancer disparities using many strategies informed by and committed to engaging community members in the research ecosystem. Citation Format: Calandra Whitted, Sarah Suitor, Ashmeet Oberoi, Dana Marshall, Rebecca Selove, Meredith Meadows, Karen Winkfield. Community outreach and engagement in a multi-institutional cancer partnership: Lesson from two decades of partnership and practice [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B067.