Click here to visit the DaCCoTA websiteLed by the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), the Dakota Cancer Collaborative on Translational Activity (DACCOTA) will use clinical research methods to study the link between cancer and the environment and pave the way to develop unique ways to combat cancer in the Dakotas. Our team’s goal is to develop a highly productive, collaborative and sustainable translational research center that will focus on the cancers that most commonly and disproportionately afflict the citizens of our region, especially American Indians. With this funding, we will not only conduct research but will train the next generation of cancer researchers throughout the region.
This award is, to our knowledge, the single largest biomedical research grant in the state’s history. This is a tremendous vote of confidence from the NIH and will have a transformational impact on the university and on the health of North and South Dakotans. At UND, we are driving research in what we have identified as Grand Challenges. This clinical and translational research grant reinforces our efforts in several of these challenges including Human Health, Rural Communities and Big Data.
The NDSU College of Health Professions is excited to be a part of this Dakota Cancer Collaborative with our friends from UND and USD. By combining the strengths of our regional research universities, we will be able to accomplish so much more than what we could do individually. This grant will provide us with an opportunity to significantly advance the research missions of our universities leading to positive economic and health outcomes for our state and region. This community engagement model of research is unique and will provide access to the latest advances in health care to many medically underserved rural communities in North Dakota and South Dakota.