ChicagoCHEC

What ChicagoCHEC does

ChicagoCHEC (Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative) is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer partnership founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The organization is structured as a tri-institutional nonprofit collaborative led by the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois University (a U.S. Department of Education-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution), and the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Its mission is to advance cancer health equity in Chicagoland's underserved communities — including African American, Latino, Asian (including Chinatown), and low-income populations — where cancer death rates can reach up to double the national average. The organization operates through four Cores (Admin, Research Education, Planning and Evaluation, Outreach) and conducts transdisciplinary research across breast, colorectal, prostate, ovarian, and hematologic cancers, alongside behavioral and stress-reduction interventions.

ChicagoCHEC's program portfolio includes the ChicagoCHEC Research Fellows Program and LEaP (Learning Experiences and Programs), which provide undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students with direct cancer research experience; the Incubator & Catalyst Grant Program, which funds pilot cancer health equity research; the Citizen Scientists Program, which engages community members in prostate cancer screening research; and the Early Career Faculty (ECF) Program for career development. The organization has engaged over 65 students in research training and operates with approximately 90 direct members, supported by 20+ community partner organizations across the Chicago metropolitan area. Distribution of programs occurs through academic partnerships, the community partner network, in-person community forums (the 9th Annual Community Forum was held in November 2024 with 100+ attendees), and digital channels including a YouTube video library, blog, newsletter, and social media.

ChicagoCHEC is funded entirely through three concurrent NCI U54 cooperative agreement grants under the Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (PACHE) program (U54CA202995, U54CA202997, U54CA203000). All educational programs, research opportunities, and community events are offered free of charge to participants. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by Admin Core, Research Education Core, Planning and Evaluation Core, and Outreach Core leadership distributed across the three partner institutions. Its go-to-market model is community-led, relying on direct engagement with community organizations, in-person forums, and multi-channel digital communications rather than any sales or commercial distribution mechanism.

Name

ChicagoCHEC

Legal name

Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative

Website

https://chicagochec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ChicagoCHEC is a Chicago-based, NCI-funded nonprofit collaborative of three institutions that advances cancer health equity through research, education, training, and community engagement targeting underserved African American, Latino, Asian, and low-income communities in Chicagoland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Health Equity Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

Keywords

• Cancer health equity
• Community-based research
• Oncology disparities research
• Health workforce training
• Clinical trial access

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. National Cancer Institute Grant Funding: ChicagoCHEC is funded through NCI Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity program grants (U54CA202995, U54CA202997, and U54CA203000). This is the primary funding source supporting all research, education, training, and community engagement activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ChicagoCHEC is a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer partnership that advances cancer health equity through transdisciplinary cancer disparities research, education and training programs for students and early career researchers, and community engagement initiatives. It delivers this work through a tri-institutional collaboration of Northwestern University's Lurie Cancer Center, Northeastern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois Cancer Center, serving underserved Chicago communities disproportionately affected by cancer.

Product overview

ChicagoCHEC offers a portfolio of education and training programs, research initiatives, and community engagement resources focused on advancing cancer health equity. The core offerings include the ChicagoCHEC Fellows Program and LEaP (Learning Experiences and Programs), which together provide undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students with pathways into cancer research careers through direct research engagement and laboratory experiences. The ChicagoCHEC Incubator & Catalyst Grant Program supports trainees with funding for research projects. Additional resources include a Video Library of seminars and webinars, the Citizen Scientists Program for community-partnered research, and the Early Career Faculty Program for career development. These programs are organized across four operational Cores: Admin Core, Research Education Core, Planning and Evaluation Core, and Outreach Core, all working collaboratively to advance cancer health equity in Chicagoland communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ChicagoCHEC Research Fellows Program A research training program that directly engages undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students in cancer health disparities research, building the next generation of cancer researchers.
• LEaP (ChicagoCHEC Learning Experiences and Programs) Laboratory experiences and programs providing students with hands-on training opportunities in cancer research and health equity work.
• ChicagoCHEC Incubator & Catalyst Grant Program Grant program supporting trainees and researchers with funding opportunities to advance cancer health equity research projects.
• Citizen Scientists Program Community engagement program involving community members directly in research processes to improve prostate cancer screening through citizen participation.
• Early Career Faculty (ECF) Program Career development program designed to support and develop early career faculty members entering health-related research careers in cancer disparities.
• Video Library & Media Compiled video library of seminars, webinars and recorded events supporting faculty, staff and community members in cancer research, community engagement, education, training, and mentoring.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of only two NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Illinois. Leads scientific discovery, provides compassionate state-of-the-art cancer care, trains next generation of clinicians and scientists, and conducts outreach to communities. Director: Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD.
• University of Illinois Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Illinois' first community-based cancer centers, dedicated to reducing cancer burden through integrated research and education. Works with 11 colleges across University of Illinois system. Cancer-related research funding exceeds $59 million. Employs bench to community model.
• Northeastern Illinois UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHispanic-Serving Institution designated by U.S. Department of Education. Founded 1867, known for educational innovation and diverse student body. Forms critical partnership component as Minority Serving Institution collaborating with NCI-designated Cancer Centers through PACHE program.
• Community Partners (20+ organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20 community organizations in and around Chicago partner with ChicagoCHEC on cancer health equity initiatives. Partners include organizations serving African American, Latino, Asian, and low-income communities with focus on cancer disparities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Illinois Cancer Center: One of ChicagoCHEC's three anchor partners and a community-based cancer center with bench-to-community research model. Directly comparable in mission around reducing cancer burden in underserved populations and training diverse researchers.
• NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP): Federally funded NCI program that brings cancer clinical trials and cancer care delivery research into community settings. Comparable as an NCI-funded mechanism using community partnerships to broaden cancer research access in underserved populations.
• Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University: The lead anchor institution of the ChicagoCHEC partnership and one of only two NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Illinois. Directly comparable as a cancer research and training hub, with overlapping faculty and the same NCI U54 funding mechanism.
• Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP): NCI-funded regional network designed to manage and grow cancer health disparities research across geographically defined hubs. Comparable in mission, NCI funding lineage, and emphasis on workforce pipeline development for underrepresented researchers.

Broad incumbents

• Stand Up To Cancer: Charitable program that funds collaborative cancer research 'Dream Teams' across institutions. Comparable as a multi-institution cancer research funding model and a partner/adversarial comparator for NCI cancer health equity dollars.
• American Cancer Society: National nonprofit funding cancer research, patient support, and health equity initiatives. Comparable as a large, diversified cancer nonprofit operating parallel cancer disparities programs and research grants across the U.S.
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR): Professional society that funds cancer research, publishes journals, and convenes researchers including health equity working groups. Comparable as a parallel organizer of the cancer research community and a potential partner/competitor for cancer health equity convening.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: Cancer research nonprofit that funds translational research and emerging investigators, including health equity-focused work. Comparable as an alternative cancer research funding source and as a competitor for charitable research dollars.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): Federal parent funder of ChicagoCHEC's U54 grants and the broader steward of U.S. cancer research. Comparable as the policy and funding authority that defines the priorities and criteria cancer health equity partnerships must satisfy.

Emerging players

• Intercultural Cancer Council: Nonprofit consortium focused on policy and advocacy to eliminate cancer disparities in minority and medically underserved communities. Comparable as a community-advocacy peer targeting the same African American, Latino, and Asian populations in cancer disparities work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChicagoCHEC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfaZ-r3x7TdzYKi2B8wt8jQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagochec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicagochec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ChicagoCHEC