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 November 2, 2021 here, describing these DEI goals and our funding partners. Contact us to join this growing list of donors!
Open Funding Opportunities in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:
- CureAccelerator Live! for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Rare Diseases: up to $50,000 for a repurposing clinical trial in any rare disease that supports the US-based Cures Within Reach DEI efforts for underrepresented racial / ethnic minority patients and researchers. PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS DUE MARCH 9, 2022.
More information on our Funding Opportunities / RFPs page.
Cures Within Reach’s DEI approach is explained in this Pharmacy Times interview (Nov 2021)
Cures Within Reach thanks our funding partners:
for its lead support of our Health Disparities-focused effort in Chicago and our first project in Health Disparities: “Can Vitamin D reduce the burden of COVID-19?” focusing on Black and Hispanic Chicagoans,
and:
for its support of our Minority / Underserved Researchers and Patients initiative overall, both in the US and in LMICs.
Our DEI trials include:
- Enhancing Treatment Response in Recurrent/Metastatic Osteosarcoma with Hydroxychloroquine
- Improving Patient Response in Mantle Cell Lymphoma with Venetoclax
- Can Vitamin D Reduce the Burden of COVID-19 in Chicago?
- Treating Tuberculosis with a Lipid Lowering Drug in Nigeria
- Testing the Safety of a Repurposed Drug to Treat Snakebite in Kenya
- Improving Outcomes for the Rare Liver Disease Biliary Atresia with a Cancer Drug in Vietnam
- Repurposing Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for the Treatment of Pediatric Malnutrition in South Africa (completed)
 Dr. Hamaluba researching snakebites in Kenya |
 Dr. Adewole researching tuberculosis in Nigeria |
 Dr. Nguyen researching a rare pediatric disease in Vietnam |
 Dr. Gordon researching pediatric osteosarcoma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
 Dr. Phillips researching mantle cell lymphoma at U Michigan Medicine |
Thanks to additional philanthropic support from:
Current DEI – Minority / Underserved Research(er) Projects
Events and Media
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)