Project Funded and Supported by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Washington, D.C., [October 17, 2024] — The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Cancer Feasibility Project in Flint, Michigan. This initiative, funded and supported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), aims to address cancer health concerns by engaging the Flint community to conduct a feasibility assessment for research.

The Cancer Feasibility Project seeks to address community questions regarding environmental contamination and its correlation with cancer prevalence in the City of Flint by conducting an environmental epidemiology cancer study. This project intends to facilitate a community-participatory, science-based feasibility assessment for an environmental epidemiology cancer study in the City of Flint that will particularly examine the association between the cancer cluster and a particular environmental contaminant. 

This grantee will be tasked with assembling and moderating a multi-disciplinary panel, executing community engagement and communication plans, and conducting a comprehensive feasibility assessment with detailed reporting.

Flint has long faced unique health challenges, including the water crisis, which disproportionately impacted minoritized and low-income residents. The project will help address underlying social determinants of health and environmental risk factors and build actionable plans to reduce cancer incidence and improve outcomes in the region.

MDHHS awarded NMQF a grant in October 2023 to oversee a feasibility assessment for research and to conduct community engagement and educational activities in the City of Flint. Earlier this year, NMQF gathered sixteen (16) public comments on a draft RFP. The feedback was considered and integrated into changes to the final RFP. 

On October 15th, NMQF held a pre-grant conference to walk through how to apply for the grant with those interested in conducting the research project. An online recording of the meeting can be found here. On October 30th at 1:00 p.m. ET, NMQF will host a Virtual Townhall to provide the community with an update on the Cancer Feasibility Study. Participants are invited to register here. 

Visit https://flintcancerfeasibility.org/ to apply by November 15th, 2024.

About the National Minority Quality Forum

Founded in 1998, National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) is a United States-based, healthcare research, education, and advocacy organization whose mission is to reduce patient risk and advance health equity by assuring optimal care for all. The mission is to reduce patient risk of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, disabilities, and death, while also promoting high-quality, long lives, particularly for the most vulnerable. NMQF utilizes data and research to support and mobilize healthcare organizations, leaders, policymakers, and patients in advocating for optimal care for every individual, especially those in minoritized communities. For more information, please visit http://www.nmqf.org.