CARRA members are an integral part of the workspaces and work groups of the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid project. CARRA members represent the perspective of cancer patients and others affected by cancer - people who will be among the end users and ultimate recipients of the research progress enabled by caBIG. CARRA members contribute information, insights, materials, and comments to the workspaces and work groups; and also help spur the dissemination of information about caBIG to advocacy groups and the public.

CARRA member involvement in nanotechnology at NCI helps focus research efforts on the development of clinically useful advances that will have near-term benefits for patients. The consumer advocate perspective is critical in developing new technologies that prevent and detect cancer, and ameliorate the symptoms that negatively impact a patient's quality of life.

CARRA members provided substantive guidance to the NCI during a TRWG Roundtable in February 2006. Members provided input on NCI's "bench to bedside" infrastructure, and offered recommendations on how to communicate the TRWG's purpose, goals, and processes to the broader research and cancer advocacy community.

As members of the Institute's CIRB, CARRA members participate in a "facilitated review" process that helps protect human subjects in adult and pediatric national multi-center cancer treatment trials.