PRC Project Categories

Core Research Projects

Each center conducts at least one core project that reflects the center's chief research focus with a community.

Special Interest Projects

Many centers work on special interest projects (SIPs) funded by CDC and other federal agencies. The funder outlines broad goals for each SIP, which is offered only to the PRCs, and the grantee is selected through competitive peer-review. Each project is funded for at least one year, but many are multiyear projects that receive several million dollars.

Thematic Networks

Some SIPs comprise several centers that collaborate on a specific health issue. Past networks have addressed oral health, obesity, tobacco, school health, and women's health. Seven thematic networks are currently active.

Other Research Projects

Additional research projects conducted by PRCs or program partners may be defined by, administered through, or fully or partially funded by the PRC Program office. These research activities are described as associated projects. Four PRCs are funded through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER).

Descriptions of Research Projects

• Comparing the Effect of Lifestyle Counseling and Patient Navigation on Hypertension and Colorectal Cancer in Black Men
  New York University School of Medicine, PRC
• Comparing Web-based and Counselor-based Interventions to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, PRC
• Comparing the Effectiveness of Telemedicine with Traditional Eye Care in Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy
  Oregon Health & Science University, PRC
• Comparing Two Community Programs to Help Seniors Avoid Falls
  University of Pittsburgh, PRC    

These two-year projects compared the benefits and harms of different public health strategies to prevent, diagnose, and monitor health conditions in community settings.