October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but for the California Breast Cancer Research Program, every month is devoted to awareness and education. Program director Mhel Kavanaugh of the University of California says they're a member of an international organization of cancer research funders.

"We categorize our grants using a scheme that all these funders came together to develop together, so that we can actually talk about what we are funding using similar language. We are required to be complimentary and not duplicative of other agencies. And being able to talk about what other agencies are funding makes that possible."

The California Breast Cancer Research Program has funded groundbreaking research on disparities in breast cancer, environment and breast cancer and now a new initiative on prevention.

"An area that all of these funders, and us included, have really failed to stimulate over the last 20 years. We intend to change that."