Understanding and evaluating the impact of a multi-institutional academic partnership to reduce cancer health disparities

BACKGROUND: Cancer health disparities remain a challenge in the USA. To address these disparities, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched the Comprehensive Program to Advance Cancer Health (CPACH) in 2001, funding multi-institutional partnerships to strengthen research infrastructure, create training pathways and engage communities. While evaluations of CPACH partnerships often assess single components such as education or community engagement, less is known about their long-term, systemic impact. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study of the Meharry-Vanderbilt-TSU Cancer Partnership (MVTCP), the longest continuously funded CPACH site. In total, 43 interest holders, including faculty, students, and community advisory board members, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using an iterative inductive-deductive approach, guided by the health systems science framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. RESULTS: The analysis revealed four impacts: increased funding/financial ROI, institutional collaboration, educational and career advancement, and community outreach, education and engagement. These impacts were supported by each institution's capacities, personnel, and collaborative activities, which together generated multilevel change. CONCLUSIONS: The MVTCP demonstrates how multi-institutional partnerships can create synergistic impacts that extend beyond traditional research metrics, producing systemic change in institutions, careers, and communities. Policy and practice should prioritize sustained investment in collaborative models that integrate mentorship and community engagement as structural expectations to improve cancer health for all.