HIV.gov updates from AIDS 2022

The 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) took place from July 29–August 2 in Montreal, Canada. Check out HIV.gov's daily recap blog posts and videos.

Were you at AIDS 2022? We'd love to highlight Duke CFAR members who attended or presented! Email Lizzy Knippler at [email protected]

News from the CFAR

New Duke CFAR Special Funding RFP addressing intersection of HIV and Monkeypox

The Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) is soliciting applications for grants of up to $60,000 Direct Costs for one-year research projects that address the intersection of HIV and the Monkeypox Virus.

LOI Deadline: August 22, 2022

Application Deadline: September 30, 2022

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support research aimed at evaluating all issues at the intersection of the current monkeypox outbreak and people living with HIV (PLWH). Proposals on basic biology, pathogenesis/immunology, epidemiology, clinical care, vaccines, and sociobehavioral considerations, will all be considered. Proposals must focus on PLWH cohorts and not monkeypox monoinfections, except for the purposes of a comparison or control. Studies on persons currently on PrEP are also acceptable. Proposals that include efforts to counteract stigmatization are also of particular interest, as are those including evaluation of sexual and racial minorities, women, and healthcare access and equity. Collaborative proposals engaging non-traditional CFAR investigators at Duke are highly encouraged. The award is for up to $60K in direct costs for up to 1 year.

Please direct questions to [email protected]

See the RFP or the CFAR website for more details.

Join the Faith and Spirituality Inter-CFAR Working Group

The Tennessee CFAR welcomes interested CFAR investigators to join the Faith and Spirituality inter-CFAR Working Group. If you think you might be interested, please complete the survey.

The Faith and Spirituality inter-CFAR Working Group was established in 2016. The Steering Committee is presently chaired by Rev. Jimmy Gibbs at North Carolina. This is an energetic and enthusiastic group. In 2022, the Tennessee CFAR (a partnership between Vanderbilt, Meharry, Nashville CARES, and Tennessee Dept of Health) took on leadership and coordination of this group. The group's vision is to build collaborations among researchers, faith-based organizations, community leaders and public sector leaders, with a focus on ending the HIV epidemic. The group's mission is to serve as a group to engage in meaningful conversation, nurture collaborations, and build partnerships in the community to respond to research grant opportunities, generate publications, support early career and transitioning investigators and to include community-engaged participatory research with people living with HIV. Our overarching purpose is to advance scientific inquiry into the ways in which faith and spirituality may enhance HIV prevention, case detection, engagement in care, viral suppression and ultimate cure of HIV. Additionally, our mission is to host a nationwide CFAR conference to display outcomes of the group's collaborations, present ongoing research, and to expand collaborations and partnerships. Activities of the group will include periodic webinars, and a national meeting.

Complete the interest survey.

Apply for CFAR sponsorship to attend West Coast Retrovirus Meeting by August 10

The Duke CFAR will be sponsoring one HIV Early Stage Investigator to attend the Annual West Coast Retrovirus Meeting from October 6 – 8 in Palm Springs. To be considered for this travel award, please submit a letter of interest with a brief research abstract to this address (https://[email protected]) by Wednesday, August 10, 2022. The letter should describe how your participation at the meeting will benefit your research and career as an HIV investigator. The winning candidate will be chosen by Friday, August 12, 2022 and is encouraged to submit an abstract to the meeting.

The goal of the West Coast Retrovirus Meeting is to bring together a stellar group of retrovirologists in a focused workshop-style meeting. This anniversary meeting will have a general historical theme and will also provide an opportunity to discuss new information on many areas, including antiviral drug development, viral budding, structural virology and viral-host interactions. We intend to generate vigorous discussion, hatch new ideas, and foster collaborations regarding the biology of retroviruses, HIV/AIDS and other viral pathogens.

Registration and Abstract Deadline: August 15, 2022

To submit an abstract please email Krystina Jarema at [email protected].

Please email the Duke CFAR Developmental Core for questions about the sponsorship.

Learn more about the conference and apply for sponsorship by August 10th.

Duke Center for HIV Structural Biology -Developmental Core Funding Opportunity

The Duke Center for HIV Structural Biology (DCHSB) invites proposals for an HIV research funding opportunity (Collaborative Development Awards - CDA). 

Early-career HIV investigators and investigators new to HIV research from under-represented racial and ethnic groups are encouraged to apply. The program is intended to broadly support HIV-related structural studies aligned with the goals of the Center. 

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than September 12, 2022, 5 p.m. EST.

The award covers one year of funding up to $175,000 in total costs.

Applications will be peer-reviewed by a panel convened by the Center’s investigators. Proposals will be evaluated on scientific merit, rigor, quality of project, and impact on HIV research. Our intent is to complete reviews and start funding by December 1, 2022.

Additional details and application information can be found on the Developmental Core Funding Opportunity webpage. For project-related questions, please contact Whitney Beck, BS, Scientific Program Leader ([email protected]).

Learn more and apply.

NIMH Funding Opportunities: Expanding Collaborative Implementation Science to Address Social and Structural Determinants of Health and Improve HIV Outcomes

Please see the following opportunities: RFA-MH-22-190 (R01 Clinical Trial Required) and RFA-MH-22-191 (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). Through these Funding Opportunity Announcements, the National Institute of Mental Health, in partnership with other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, aims to support implementation science research to strengthen the evidence for effective interventions and implementation strategies that target Social and Structural Determinants of Health (SSDoH) and ultimately improve HIV outcomes and reduce inequities. This initiative will support applications that propose hybrid implementation-effectiveness studies that simultaneously test the effectiveness of interventions addressing SSDoH and implementation strategies to facilitate their uptake or adaptation. The companion R24 will support the activities of a Data Coordination and Consultative Hub to provide scientific leadership across a set of funded R01 project teams. This initiative is closely aligned with the goals of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the U.S. initiative, coordinated by the Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health.

NIMH Notice for Admin Supplements for COVID-19 impacted research: NOT-MH-21-120

Earliest submission date is October 18, 2022.

Access the R01 RFA and R24 RFA.

EHE Webinar - Learn About HIV Criminalization

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 |2-3:15pm ET

Register now for the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP)-hosted Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative stakeholder webinar on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, from 2:00–3:15pm ET. The webinar will focus on HIV criminalization laws across the United States, their impact on ending the HIV epidemic, and HIV criminalization advocacy.

This webinar is designed to:

• Provide updates on major federal activities related to the implementation of the EHE initiative.
• Highlight recent developments to end HIV criminalization that will reduce stigma and improve access to HIV services.
• Present an opportunity for questions and answers from major stakeholders and federal officials.

Dr. Timothy Harrison, Principal Deputy Director, OIDP, will offer welcoming remarks, an EHE update, and conclude the webinar. Dr. Harrison will be joined by Harold Phillips, Director, The White House Office of National AIDS Policy, as he provides an update on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and discusses its call to reform state HIV criminalization and prosecutorial practices. Emily Downes, Management Analyst, OIDP, will introduce the webinar’s guest speakers and moderate a Q&A session.

Speakers include:

• Dr. Jonathan Mermin, Director, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Mermin will discuss HIV criminalization laws and ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
• Brad Sears and Nathan Cisneros, Founding Executive Director and HIV Criminalization Analyst at The Williams Institute, respectively. They will discuss HIV criminalization laws across the United States.
• Kamaria Laffrey, Program Director, The Sero Project. Kamaria will talk about advocacy and reform.

Registration is required for this important webinar, which is open to everyone. Please note capacity is limited, so register early. This webinar will be audio-recorded, and slides will be publicly available for those unable to attend.

Register for the webinar.

UNC CFAR TechEngage Webinar 

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 |9am ET

Register for the webinar.

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