Communication Plan

ATTACHMENT 16 - Communications Plan for the NCI Trinity Cancer Risk Study

Background

NCI’s Congressional mandate requires that we communicate with the American public about our research program. Many stakeholders will be interested in the outcome of the Trinity Cancer Risk Study. To effectively disseminate results from this effort NCI has developed the following communications plan.

Communications Goals / Objectives

NCI investigators intend to communicate not only the scientific goals and objectives of the Trinity study, but also its progress, findings, and future plans. The study team has designated Ms. Jennifer Loukissas and Ms. Silvia Salazar, as co-leads for community outreach and communications management. Together with Dr. Steve Simon, Ms. Loukissas and Ms. Salazar have already engaged in numerous interviews with television, print, radio, and online news outlets following the study’s progress, including the pilot phase of the project.

Target Audiences

External to NCI/HHS:

• Advocacy groups in New Mexico, including the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium and Las Mujeres Hablan

• Local leaders and key community members from New Mexico and Native nations within the state borders

• Academic experts in biomedical sciences, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, etc., at universities in New Mexico.

• Radiation-related advocacy groups in New Mexico

  • For example: Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, Embudo Valley Environmental Monitoring Group, New Mexico Alliance of Nuclear Worker and Advocacy and Cold War Patriots

• Reporters: Upon request, no proactive distribution (In conjunction with the NCI Press Office)

• Congressional delegation of New Mexico, via their staff (In conjunction with the NCI Legislative Office)

Internal to NCI/HHS:

• Federal agencies including the HHS sister agencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Services), and others as appropriate

• NCI leadership and staff who interact directly with external audiences (Office of Government and Congressional Relations, Cancer Information Service/Office of Public Inquiries, Office of Advocacy Relations)

Strategies and Tactics

The study team will create materials in English and Spanish, and other languages if needed. In accordance with the regulations of the Southwest Tribal IRB, and to protect tribal confidentiality and privacy, NCI will not publish the names of the communities involved in the study (in particular Tribal communities), unless permission is granted on behalf of the tribe.

Materials will include the following:

• PowerPoint slides describing the study to be delivered by study investigators, or their proxy, at community meetings

• Study summary posted to DCEG website (http://dceg.cancer.gov/research/how-we-study/exposure-assessment/trinity and http://dceg.cancer.gov/research/how-we-study/exposure-assessment/trinity-espanol)

• Study information posted to the Trinity project website (http://www.NCITrinityCancerRiskStudy.org in English and http://www.NCIEstudioTrinty.org in Spanish)

• Talking points describing the study for use in media interviews, internal communications, and discussions with external stakeholders

• Plain language summary of pilot results to be posted to the web and shared with stakeholders

• Statement of intent for future research

The materials above will be shared by email and on the DCEG website.

************************************************************************************