Partners

The Consortium draws upon resources and talents from throughout the cancer communities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States to achieve its mission. We welcome ideas, partnerships, and collaborative relationships in the following areas:

• Training opportunities for cancer personnel, students, and educators
• Industry sponsorship of fellowships and other educational opportunities
• Participation in Consortium Working Groups to study and implement approved programs
• Participation in Consortium conferences

For more information on how to become involved with the Consortium, contact the Help Desk at consortium@cancer.gov.

CURRENT PARTNERS

Ireland
Department of Health and Children

The Department of Health and Children has overall responsibility for the development of health policy and for the planning and funding of health services in Ireland. The 11 health boards are the statutory bodies responsible for the provision of health and personal social services in their functional areas. They are also the main providers of health care at the regional level. The voluntary sector also plays a vital role in the delivery of health and personal social services. Voluntary agencies range from major hospitals and national organizations to small community-based support groups set up in response to local needs. In addition, a number of specialist agencies have been established to address particular needs or to provide particular services.

Health Research Board

The Minister for Health established the Health Research Board (HRB) in 1986. The main functions of the HRB are to promote, assist, commission, or conduct medical, epidemiological, health, and health services research. The HRB, in conjunction with the Research and Development Office of Northern Ireland, funds many of the Consortium's programs, including the clinical trials network and scholar exchange.

Northern Ireland
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was established in 1999 to administer health and personal social services, which include policy and legislation for hospitals, family practitioner services, community health and personal social services; public health, which covers responsibility for policy and legislation to promote and protect the health and well-being of the population of Northern Ireland; and public safety, which encompasses responsibility for policy and legislation for the Fire Authority, food safety, and emergency planning.

Health and Social Care Research and Development Office

The Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D) Office was established to promote, coordinate, and support research and development in health and social care. The HSC R&D Office provides overall strategic direction for health and social services research and development and interacts with national statutory bodies and health-related organizations, including the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. At an operational level, the HSC R&D Office supports a wide range of initiatives from education and training to direct commissioning.

United States
Department of Health and Human Services

The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The Department includes more than 300 social and scientific programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities including cancer reserach and cancer care.

National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute is a United States government agency that coordinates one of the world's most renowned cancer research programs. The NCI is the largest of 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. In addition to its research laboratories in Bethesda, NCI supports scientists all over the world in a broad spectrum of basic and clinical research on cancer causes, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Office of International Affairs

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) of the National Cancer Institute coordinates the Institute's worldwide activities in a number of arenas, including liaison with foreign and international agencies; coordination of cancer research activities under agreements between the U.S. and other countries; planning and implementation of international scientist exchange programs; sponsorship of international workshops; and dissemination of cancer information globally.