US-Nigerian Cancer Control Center for Research on Implementation Science and Equity (C3-RISE)

ABSTRACT
Nigeria has a substantial number of preventable cancer deaths each year. The human papillomavirus (HPV)
vaccine and hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine are both evidence-based strategies to prevent cancer, but they have not
been widely scaled up in Nigeria. This suggests the need for innovative strategies that leverage
implementation science and tap the collective wisdom of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. We propose
the “US-Nigerian Cancer Control Center for Research on Implementation Science and Equity (C3-RISE).” Our
overall mission is two part: (a) use participatory implementation science strategies (i.e. crowdsourcing open
calls and apprenticeships) to expand uptake of HPV and HBV vaccines for cancer prevention; and (b) serve as
a hub for equity and capacity building in implementation science to advance the understanding of intervention
uptake and sustainment of evidence-based interventions to prevent cancer. This project brings together an
exceptional group of multi-disciplinary researchers from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (the apex
federal health research organization, similar to the US NIH), St. Louis University, and the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. We propose the following aims: (1) To accelerate equitable cancer control by
developing, testing, and refining participatory implementation strategies to decentralize vaccines to prevent
cancer in community settings; (2) To enhance the scientific productivity of C3-RISE by providing overarching
operational and scientific oversight; (3) To support innovative research and the development of scholars
trained to accelerate the uptake and sustainment of evidence-based cancer control interventions in Nigeria.
These aims will be accomplished by a nurturing hub of two cores (Administrative, Capacity Building) alongside
two research studies (Study 1 focused on HPV vaccination, Study 2 on HBV vaccination). Our three partner
institutions launched a participatory implementation science project four years ago that directly informed
national Nigerian health guidelines, trained 231 students, provided mentorship opportunities to 43 faculty, and
culminated in a WHO/TDR practical guide on crowdsourcing for health (UH3HD096929). This led to a recently
awarded NCI R01 grant (R01-CA271033) that uses participatory implementation science to develop innovative
strategies to enhance HPV services in Nigeria. C3-RISE will leverage this momentum to catalyze cutting-edge
cancer research, training, community engagement, and policy translation. Our project will increase health
equity, and it aligns with the Nigerian National Cancer Control Plan by focusing on participation, capacity
building, and sustainment. This U54 grant application directly responds to NIH, NCI, and NIMH strategic
priorities.