Minority / Underrepresented – 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 Underrepresented 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 underrepresented patients as well as to support minority and underrepresented 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 Underrepresented Researchers in any disease area (underrepresented according to a 2020 NIH report on racial disparities in NIH funding)
- To positively impact Health Disparities within underrepresented communities (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 January 23, 2024 here, describing the 4 LMIC-based clinical trials recently selected!
Read our news release, describing the 8 DEI clinical trials selected for funding in 2022 and now underway!
Open Funding Opportunities in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:
- ReGRoW: Funding for Underresourced Researchers in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries 2024: accepting budgets of up to $65,000 for clinical repurposing trials in any disease led by an underresourced researcher in any LMIC, as defined by the World Bank. LOI DEADLINE CLOSED; SUBMISSIONS UNDER REVIEW
- Repurposing Research for Chicago: accepting budgets of up to $100,000 for clinical repurposing trials from Chicago area research institutions. DEI is one of four Chicago RFP tracks. Specific focus areas for the other tracks include Early Stage Investigators, Pediatrics and Veterans/Military issues. LOI SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 7, 2024
- Track 1 – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: clinical repurposing trials that 1) are led by an underrepresented researcher (as defined by the NIH) OR 2) address health disparities among underrepresented patients (as defined by the NIH) OR both 1) and 2).
- Impacting Blood Cancers through Clinical Repurposing Trials: clinical trials led by underrepresented PI or impacting underrepresented patients are eligible! Accepting budgets of up to $75,000 from institutions worldwide for clinical repurposing trials targeting any blood cancer, with a preference for trials impacting multiple myeloma and/or myelodysplastic syndromes. LOI SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JULY 29, 2024
More information on our Funding Opportunities / RFPs page.
Our ongoing DEI trials:
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. Phillips of City Hope
Cures Within Reach thanks our funding partners:
for its lead support of our effort to impact health disparities and build the pipeline of underrepresented minority researchers across Chicagoland,
and:
for Takeda’s Center for Health Equity and Patient Affairs’ support of our Minority / Underrepresented 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 minority researchers; and
3) to build the pipeline of LMIC-based underresourced 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 / Underrepresented 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 / Underrepresented Research(er) Projects
(in the past 3 years)