Recognizing National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

August 29, 2022 is National Faith HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NFHAAD). NFHAAD is a day to engage faith communities to work together for HIV/AIDS education, prevention, treatment, care, and support, and to reduce and eliminate stigma and discrimination.

Reaching All HIV+ Muslims in America (RAHMA) and its partners have led the events of this awareness day across the nation, reaching thousands of people of various faiths across the United States to take a stand against stigma in their congregations to help raise awareness about HIV. RAHMA and its partners lead the planning for National Faith HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. RAHMA held the first NFHAAD observance in 2017.

News from the CFAR

Dr. John Bartlett reflects on his time with the CFAR

After many years of service as Clinical Core Director, Dr. John Bartlett is passing the baton to Dr. Dorothy Dow and Dr. Thuy Le, who will lead the core as Co-Directors. Dr. Lance Okeke is serving as Associate Director, and Dr. Mehri McKellar is the Community Liaison for the core.

Dr. Bartlett is a Professor of Medicine, Global Health, and Nursing at Duke University Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, Tanzania. Duke CFAR Director Dr. Georgia Tomaras recognizes the incredible legacy Dr. Bartlett has had at Duke so far: “John inspired ongoing research at Duke to understand natural control of HIV replication in PLWH. His work to build the infrastructure for these types of studies at Duke have been enabling for the research programs of several early career investigators.”

We asked Dr. Bartlett to share a few reflections on his involvement with CFAR over the years.

Back in 2004, Dr. Kent Weinhold approached Dr. Bartlett to be the Co-Director as part of an NIH Center for AIDS Research application. Dr. Bartlett credits Dr. Weinhold’s understanding of the historical, cultural, and emotional context of HIV infection, as well as the vision to see an opportunity at Duke to bring together basic science and clinical care. His leadership over many years set the CFAR on its path for success.

Dr. Bartlett reflected on the changes and growth of the CFAR over the years that led to many achievements, particularly the recruitment of phenomenal faculty to the CFAR and the investment and mentorship provided by the Developmental Core under the direction of Dr. Herman Staats. The addition of the Social & Behavioral Sciences Core and the Quantitative Sciences Core, as well as the diversification of investigators in the CFAR are further examples of “the prevailing approach of opportunism, flexibility, and evolution” that has resulted in a well-rounded CFAR.

Speaking of his time with the Clinical Core, Dr. Bartlett notes the crucial role that the Core played as a connection to the community in the early days of the CFAR, with much credit to Trish Bartlett and Julia Giner and their work to maintain these connections; the successes in HIV treatment and care have been the product of teamwork and the important work of bringing together patients, advocates, and researchers. Dr. Bartlett also noted his gratitude for the hard work and can-do attitudes of Stuart Carr and Kathy Link and their support for clinical investigators. Under the leadership of Dr. Bartlett and Co-Director Dr. Coleen Cunningham, the Core was able to balance clinical and research focuses on both adult and pediatric care. The two leaders also shared a common vision for how to expand CFAR activities internationally. These international partnerships have added depth and important scientific contributions, and have been mutually beneficial for Duke and our partners.

Continuing his expressions of gratitude for the many people who have moved the CFAR forward, Dr. Bartlett noted the important contributions and leadership of Mary Oris and Kelly Suñé to guide the direction of the CFAR over the years, keeping a pulse on all of the happenings at the CFAR with an eye for the future. Dr. Bartlett has lots of enthusiasm for the future of the CFAR, and recognizes Dr. Georgia Tomaras and Dr. Susanna Naggie as the perfect leaders for CFAR to build upon Dr. Weinhold’s vision with a fresh perspective.

The resounding theme from Dr. Bartlett’s reflections was the importance of growth and the transition in leadership that comes with this: “CFAR has to evolve because HIV/AIDS and the needs of our population are evolving.” Over the years, he has had a front seat to a fantastic evolution of the CFAR, and all of us at the Duke CFAR are so grateful for all of his incredible contributions, leadership, and mentoring that will continue to move the CFAR forward. Duke CFAR Co-Director Dr. Naggie’s comments sum up the impact that Dr. Bartlett has had on so many: “John is one of the giants in the field of HIV clinical research. There is no one at Duke to fill his shoes and that is OK. We can all strive to fill his shoes and we and our patients will be better for it.”

Read this reflection on the CFAR website.

Clinical Core services offered to support CFAR investigators

If you would like to request a service from the Clinical Core, please fill out this Service Request Form and email it to cfar-clinical-core@duke.edu

The Clinical Core services fall into 5 broad categories:

Consultation on study design, implementation, analysis and manuscript preparation 

Drs. Dow, Le, Okeke and McKellar are highly experienced clinical investigators, and their experience offers a great service to laboratory-based investigators and junior investigators who need human subjects for their research. They average 30 consultations on studies per year. These consultations may provide input on study design, study interventions, study outcome measures, appropriate subject populations, project implementation, adverse events, study analysis, interpretation of results, and publication of manuscripts. 

Clinical Research Support

The Clinical Core can assist with a number of issues related to the conduct of specific research studies. This may include consultations on study design, study feasibility and recruitment and retention issues. In addition, study coordinator assistance may be available for some studies. Salary support is requested for study coordinator assistance whenever possible. Stuart Carr has been working with various study teams on these issues for a number of years.

Regulatory Support   

Regulatory compliance is essential by all Duke CFAR investigators, and the Clinical Core provides expertise and assistance in ensuring compliance. Regulatory support is the service most commonly requested by Clinical Core Users, and approximately 100 users access this service annually. Given the number of international studies and the number of countries in which CFAR investigators are engaged in research, the management of regulatory compliance has become enormously complex. The CFAR Clinical Core can assist international partners with requirements for DUHS IRB submissions, human subject protection training, and other specific requirements related to their research. Stuart Carr and Kathy Link have many years of regulatory experience working with various types of studies in the United States and internationally. 

Database and Biorepository Access  

The Clinical Core has established a database and biorepository. This Database includes nearly 1900 HIV-infected persons receiving care in the Duke University Adult Infectious Diseases Clinic and will soon include approximately 100 HIV-infected children and adolescents receiving care in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic. The demographics of these patient populations mirror the reported demographics for North Carolina (57% African American and 28% women). There are currently over 70,000 plasma samples in this biorepository. For more detailed information, please click here.

Community Engagement

The Clinical Core will work with the recently created Durham-Duke CFAR Collaborative Community Council to assist with important opportunities to interact with the community, receive feedback on study proposals and disseminate research results back to the community.

The Moshi Community Advisory Board at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) meets monthly. They have separate meetings for a Youth CAB. The former Duke CFAR Community Advisory Board and the Moshi Community Advisory Board have been active within the National CFAR CAB Coalition in the past attending meetings in Philadelphia, Seattle and Boston and participating on conference calls.

View the Clinical Core services on our website.

Community Connection event from Triangle Empowerment Center - please share!

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 |12:30-6:30pm ET | 3022 Fayetteville St.

Interest Meeting for the Inter-CFAR Working Group on HIV and Aging

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 |12pm ET

The Inter-CFAR Working Group (WG) on HIV & Aging is co-led by the CFARs at the University of Miami and Emory University. Together, we are seeking to re-energize this important interdisciplinary group through establishing clear objectives and developing an operational strategy for the coming years.

We invite you to offer your input by participating in a kick-off meeting to discuss objectives and to gauge your enthusiasm for specific working group activities, including a quarterly webinar series hosted by the Inter-CFAR HIV & Aging WG. This is an opportunity for CFAR investigators interested in HIV and aging to impact research in this area through a collaborative Inter-CFAR WG.

Membership in the Inter-CFAR HIV & Aging WG is available to all CFAR investigators, as well leaders in the field from non-CFAR institutions. Please fill out the Inter-CFAR WG on HIV and Aging Member Interest Form if you are interested in participating in shaping the future of HIV & aging research.

Please also join us for the kick-off meeting on September 7, 2022, at 12:00 PM (EDT).

Zoom Link: https://miami.zoom.us/j/92206611302?pwd=Y3FwbUlORG1DbDloMVFSUEFsd2M5dz09 

Meeting ID: 922 0661 1302

Passcode: 825119

Registration is live for the Ending the HIV Epidemic 2nd National Meeting 

Thursday, September 15, 2022 | Birmingham, AL & Virtual

Registration is now open to attend the  2nd National Meeting for Research and Community Collaboration towards “Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US” in Birmingham, AL on Sept 15^th, 2022. The meeting will highlight lessons learned and generalizable findings from previous EHE-focused studies. If you plan to attend, please register at your earliest convenience to hold your spot. There is a virtual option if you are not able to attend in person. In advance of the main conference, on September 12^th, the Implementation Science Coordination Initiative (ISC3i) is hosting a virtual Implementation Science methods training. This is open to you or any colleagues so feel free to share this. Learn more and register here: https://www.uab.edu/medicine/cfar/pre-conference-training. 

Learn more from our website.

IMPAACT RFP for studies using stored biological specimens

On behalf of the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Network, please see the IMPAACT Request for Proposals (RFP) for new laboratory-based scientific investigations using repository stored specimens. Stored specimen types include cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), cord blood, viable peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), non-viable PBMCs, plasma, viable polymorphonuclear leukocytes, serum, whole blood, and whole blood pellets. The Budget and New Works Concept Sheet (NWCS) templates can be found linked on the CFAR website.

Letters of intent are requested by 15 September 2022, and applications are due on 1 October 2022. 

This information is also accessible on the IMPAACT Network site under Research and Study Opportunities. Questions are encouraged and may be submitted to IMPAACT.SpecimenRepRFA@frontierscience.org.

Learn more and apply.

Inter-CFAR Fellowship Program in Implementation Science

On behalf of inter-CFAR Implementation Science Working Group and the Mid-Atlantic CFAR Implementation Science Hub, we are welcoming applications for an NIH-funded training opportunity in implementation science (IS) for early stage investigators (ESIs) engaging in HIV-related research. Since its inaugural class of 2019-2020, the fellowship has engaged 81 fellows in the program. This year’s Implementation Science Fellows will be selected across the CFAR network, HBCUs and U.S. Universities to participate in a mentorship program, including both didactic, online, and mentored small group training in IS methodology. The applied mentorship focuses on the development of a grant application which incorporates IS methodology and/or training and culminates in a two-day in person grant refinement and networking workshop. This workshop will take place in Baltimore on a date to be determined in March/April 2023 and is a requirement of the Fellowship. A final decision regarding the exact date of the in-person meeting will be determined prior to application decisions. Please refer to JHU-CFAR (hopkinscfar.org) for details and check back periodically for updates.

Fellows are expected to:

• Complete a series of 12 pre-recorded modules
• Engage in live weekly Friday discussion sessions throughout the Fellowship to discuss lectures, critical papers in the field, IS methods, and advance their grants. Note, the sessions are held from 3-4 pm EST from program inception mid October 2022- March 2023, with breaks over the holiday seasons.
• Develop a grant incorporating IS research
• Attend a two-day in-person workshop (Covid-19 dependent) with the mentorship team to present grant progress and receive feedback, which will take place in late March/early April 2023. A final decision regarding the exact date of the in-person meeting will be determined in the coming weeks and will be provided prior to enrollment. Please refer to JHU-CFAR (hopkinscfar.org) for details and check back periodically for updates.

Eligibility and logistics: Spots will be reserved exclusively for early stage faculty (Assistant Professor, Research Assistant Professor and equivalent positions), post-doctoral fellows, and exceptional senior-level PhD candidates. All applicants must be NIH-defined early-stage investigators (ESIs) who have not held an R01 or equivalent award. The Fellowship is targeted at faculty, though exceptional pre- and post-doctoral candidates ready to submit grants will be considered. ESIs who hold or previously held EHE IS grant supplement awards are encouraged to apply, as are candidates from HBCUs.

Applicants will be asked to submit their NIH formatted biosketch, a one page specific aims document pertaining to the grant that they will be developing, provide basic details of their proposed IS-related grant (e.g. working title, proposed funding mechanism, submission cycle), and a brief summary of their prior experience and planned future directions conducting implementation science research. The specific aims page does not need to be polished and is expected to evolve during the fellowship as IS skills advance. Because grant development is critical to the fellowship, however, we are seeking out applicants who will be submitting a grant that incorporates IS methodology and are committed to moving this forward. Funding will be available for the IS Fellows to attend the 2-day in-person meeting planned for March/April 2023.

Interested applicants should apply online by September 11^th 2022, 11:59 pm EDT. at:

Outcomes will be announced by September 26, 2022. The virtual fellowship will begin October 17, 2022.

Learn more and apply.

Deadline approaching: 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 (whitney.beck@duke.edu).

Learn more and apply.

A compilation of funding opportunities can be found on the CFAR website.

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