Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation and Pfizer Global Medical Grants are collaborating to offer a quality improvement grant funding opportunity to improve the quality of care and address inequities for metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients. This grant program will support innovative approaches to diagnose inequities and improve the quality mBC patient care in Latin America. This program was purposefully developed with the Latin America Regional Council of ASCO expressly for Latin America.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Latin America. Despite significant advances in the detection, management, and treatment of breast cancer, patients in Latin America face significant challenges. These challenges include a shortage of oncologists, insufficient training of health care providers, and lack of access to the latest therapies. Moreover, there are significant disparities in access to care in Latin America, including between those utilizing public and private health care. These factors are particularly critical for stage IV, or metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients.
The goal of this program is to improve the quality of mBC patient care by understanding and addressing gaps in the care that contribute to disparities in mBC patient outcomes in Latin America. These may include:
•Gaps in clinical practice, such as the ability or competencies of the health care professionals themselves, the abilities, or competencies of the systems in which they work to promote or allow proper management, or other factors related to the external environment or patient population.
•Gaps in patient education, including factors that contribute to delays in seeking care and impediments to shared decision making.
•Gaps in the coordination of mBC patient care across the healthcare system, including primary care and the utilization of patient navigation.
•Gaps in real world evidence needed to diagnose the contributors to disparities in care.
This RFP seeks to provide funding to projects that are aimed at addressing these and other relevant gaps, ultimately helping health care providers deliver the best treatment to each patient at the optimal time.
Grant Application due date: March 6, 2023
This RFP is open to investigators from Latin American institutions. Collaboration between institutions across countries is encouraged to foster the interactive sharing of knowledge and expertise, and to utilize the combined strengths of the investigators and their institutions. Also, partnerships between clinically focused academic centers/departments with centers of health policy, healthcare management and health economics skills and patient advocacy groups are also encouraged. Please note: all partners must have a relevant role. Investigators can be of any health care professional background.
The estimated total available funding for this RFP is $1,000,000. •Individual projects requesting up to $150,000 not exceeding 18-months will be considered. •The maximum indirect (overhead) rate is 28% and must be included in the total grant request amount. •Amount requested may not exceed the budget limit set forth in the RFP and the budget submitted must be within fair market value. •No funding for capital equipment is allowed.