Honoring long-term survivors of the HIV epidemic

June 5 is HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD), a day to honor long-term survivors of the epidemic and raise awareness of their needs, concerns, and journeys. The 2022 theme is “Mobilize to Thrive: Prioritizing Quality of Life” a call to action to prioritize and improve the Quality of Life for long-term survivors and Older Adults with HIV. 

The selection of June 5 for this annual observance coincides with the anniversary of the first official reporting of what became known as the AIDS epidemic on June 5, 1981. Today, HIV Long-Term Survivors (HLTS) represent a diverse group of people diagnosed with HIV before the advent of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy or HAART in 1996 who make up about 25% of all people living with HIV. Learn more about HLTSAD and their campagin.

News from the CFAR

CFAR leadership meets with External Advisory Committee

On Tuesday, May 17th, the Duke CFAR was excited to gather members of its External Advisory Committee (EAC) together in-person at the JB Duke Hotel and online via Zoom, along with members of the CFAR Core leadership. Each core gave an update of accomplishments in the past year and goals for the future, allowing time for Q&A, discussion, and feedback from the EAC.

It was a great opportunity to reflect on and share the progress we've made at the Duke CFAR, to plan for future ideas, and to exchange lessons from other CFARs. It was also a great reminder of how wonderful it is to bring members of the CFAR together to meet each other (some for the first time in person!) and identify areas for collaborations across cores.

Apply for a CFAR Publication Grant by June 10 

If you have a paper currently accepted for publication, please apply by June 10, 2022 for a CFAR Publication Grant. This opportunity is open only to papers that are officially accepted by June 10^th, and the invoice must be processed by June 30th.

Using the application form, please submit the full paper, including abstract, the journal name, acceptance letter, and a brief description of the need for funds. Requests may be up to $1500, must come from active members of the Duke CFAR and the paper must specifically cite the Duke CFAR. Decisions will be made based on the number of requests and available funds. Priority may be given to high impact journals and/or junior investigators, but all levels are eligible.

Apply for a CFAR publication grant.

Webinar from Howard University College of Medicine: Options for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and other Biomedicals for the Mid-level Provider

Thursday, May 26, 2022 | 12-1pm ET

Register for the webinar.

Infectious Diseases in Africa (IDA) held in September for participants from African countries

September 5-10, 2022 | Flow Workshop September 12-16, 2022

The abstract submission deadline for the 11th Infectious Diseases in Africa (IDA) Symposium is June 17.

Participants will be accepted based on the scientific merit of their submitted abstracts, and will be required to complete an Immunology Pre-Course.

Participants will be accepted from African countries. A full scholarship (travel and accommodation) will be awarded to selected African applicants to attend the 11th IDA Symposium or the Flow Cytometry Workshop or Both.

Please pass along this opportunity to any colleagues or contacts you know who might be interested and eligible for participation.

Learn more about the symposium and application.

Funding Opportunities

Enhancing HIV Reservoir Susceptibility to Elimination (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – RFA-AI-22-025

Participating ICs: NIAID, NIMH, NIDA

Application Due Date: August 3, 2022

Through this opportunity, NIAID and partnering institutes NIDA and NIMH intend to support basic research focused on defining intracellular mechanisms that determine resistance or sensitivity to intrinsic and extrinsic cytolytic stimuli and ultimately impact the survival and expansion of HIV reservoir cells.

The objectives of this FOA are:

1. to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms within persistently infected HIV reservoir cells that promote survival or resistance to cell killing,
2. to identify novel therapeutic targets within persistently infected cells that will increase their sensitivity to virus- or immune-mediated cell death, and
3. to explore synergistic approaches to combine enhancement of susceptibility to cell death with other eradication strategies. 

Access the RFA to learn more.

Coming soon: Funding Opportunity Announcement for Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network Clinical Research Centers

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) intends to promote a new initiative by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications to participate in a research program cooperative agreement to support the Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings Implementation Science Network (PATC3H-IN). The Network will expand successes achieved by PATC3H to new geographic settings with limited implementation science (IS) research capacity and/or at-risk populations who are poorly represented in international adolescent HIV research (e.g., sexual and gender minorities; commercial sex workers; drug users) and stimulate much needed IS research in a neglected area of public health significance: prevention of new HIV infections among adolescents at risk and the identification of, and linkage and retention to care of and long-term viral suppression among youth living with HIV in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs).

Estimated publication date of Funding Opportunity Announcement: July 26, 2022

First estimated application due date: November 30, 2022

Earliest estimated award date: July 1, 2023

Access the Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity to learn more.

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