Minority / Underserved – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
While Cures Within Reach is disease-agnostic and geography-agnostic, we – along with specific funding partners – have strategic interests in specific population groups. Therefore, in addition to our disease-specific and geographic repurposing communities, we have our Minority and Underserved Repurposing Community to support Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) efforts that utilizes the speed and cost-effectiveness of testing already approved therapies in new indications. The goal: improve the quality and length of life of minority and underserved patients as well as to support minority and underserved researchers.
We support Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts by finding and funding clinical repurposing projects to improve overall health equity and clinical trial diversity:
- Led by Minority and Underserved Researchers in any disease area (underserved according to a 2020 NIH report on racial disparities in NIH funding)
- To positively impact Health Disparities within communities of color (including engagement of community-based health and social services organizations)
- To impact patients living in low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs, as defined by the World Bank)
Read our news release from February 2023 here, describing the 8 DEI clinical trials recently selected!
Open Funding Opportunities in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:
- Repurposing Research to Address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the Greater Chicago Area: for clinical repurposing trials from Chicagoland research institutions testing any repurposed therapy and that support the US-based Cures Within Reach DEI efforts for underrepresented racial / ethnic minority patients and researchers – accepting budgets of up to $100,000. CLOSED; FUNDING DECISIONS MADE.
- US Based Clinical Repurposing Trials to Address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI): for clinical repurposing trials in any disease from US research institutions testing any repurposed therapy and that support the US-based Cures Within Reach DEI efforts for underrepresented racial / ethnic minority patients and researchers – accepting budgets of up to $70,000. CLOSED; FUNDING DECISIONS MADE.
- CureAccelerator Live! for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Rare Diseases: for clinical repurposing trials in any rare disease from US research institutions testing any repurposed therapy and that support the US-based Cures Within Reach DEI efforts for underrepresented racial / ethnic minority patients and researchers – accepting budgets of up to $70,000. CLOSED; FUNDING DECISIONS MADE.
- ReGRoW: Repurposing Grants for the Rest of the World – Funding for Underserved Researchers in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries (LMICs): for clinical repurposing trials in any disease led by an underserved researcher in any LMIC, as defined by the World Bank – accepting budgets of up to $50,000. CLOSED; FUNDING DECISIONS MADE.
More information on our Funding Opportunities / RFPs page.
Cures Within Reach’s DEI approach is explained in this Pharmacy Times interview (Nov 2021)
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. McKenzie-Brown of Emory University
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Ntekim of University College Hospital Ibadan in Nigeria
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Gordon of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Cures Within Reach thanks our funding partners:
for its lead support of our effort to impact health disparities and build the pipeline of underserved minority researchers across Chicagoland,
and:
for Takeda’s Center for Health Equity and Patient Affairs’ support of our Minority / Underserved Researchers and Patients initiative overall, both in the US and in LMICs.
Our DEI efforts include clinical trials
1) to impact health disparities of racial / ethnic minority patients;
2) to build the pipeline of US-based underrepresented racial/ethnic minority researchers; and
3) to build the pipeline of LMIC-based underserved researchers.
The full list of all of our ongoing DEI-related clinical trials is below. Examples include:
 Dr. Hamaluba researching snakebites in Kenya |
 Dr. Nguyen researching a rare pediatric liver disease biliary atresia in Vietnam |
 Dr. Gordon researching pediatric osteosarcoma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Thanks to additional philanthropic support from:
Current DEI – Minority / Underserved Research(er) Projects
Events and Media
CureAccelerator Live! for DEI
October 2022
Virtual
4 finalists from institutions across the US compete for up to $70,000 in clinical funding for trials impacting health disparities and/or led by racial/ethnic minority researchers.
Diversity of Clinical Trial Researchers and Patients: A Repurposing Opportunity?
November 2021
Virtual
A dialogue on the dual opportunities of clinical trial diversity to impact health disparities and/or improve minority leadership in scientific research.
Real World Data Through a Patient’s Lens
October 2021
Virtual
A conversation on Real World Data (RWD) and case reports from clinicians and researchers.
Learn about our Health Disparities project in COVID-19 focused on Black and Latinx communities by watching Dr. Meltzer of University of Chicago interviewed on ABC7 Chicago and Fox Chicago and reading more in the Chicago Tribune.
Cure Accelerator Live! for Chicago 2020
September 2020
Virtual
Four finalists from Chicago-based institutions competing for up to $50,000 to fund their repurposing clinical trials, including a minority-led project. Watch Dr. Lindsey pitch his project.
CureAccelerator Live! for Rare Diseases 2020
June 2020
Virtual
Five finalists from the US competing for up to $50,000 to fund their repurposing clinical trials impacting rare disease patients – including a minority led project. Read more about Dr. Phillips’ project and watch him pitch it.
CureAccelerator Live! for the Developing World 2019
May 2019
Boston, MA
Five finalists from the US and India competing for up to $50,000 to fund their repurposing clinical trials impacting patients in the Developing World.
Completed DEI – Minority / Underserved Research(er) Projects
(in the past 3 years)