Networking and Mentoring Meeting: HIV Prevention in Minority Communities Program

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Collaborative HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities (CRMC) program, an NIMH and NICHD funded training program, has the dual purpose of 1) increasing the amount of innovative and scientifically excellent HIV prevention research being conducted in minority communities, and 2) increasing the number of funded investigators from underrepresented minority groups. Since 1997 the program has mentored a diverse group of 37 scientists who have been awarded $23 million in extramural research funding to date. In addition to the productivity of individual participants, the program has created a network of scientists conducting innovative HIV prevention research in minority communities. This network has led to the development and successful funding of several collaborative grants involving program participants and faculty. This application proposes a 2-day conference to bring together program participants, prospective participants, faculty and representatives of funding agencies. The conference will provide a structured environment to disseminate innovative research, promote the development of mentoring and collaborative research relationships, and to explore the current state of science and community practice regarding HIV prevention in disproportionately impacted minority communities. The Specific Aims of this R13 conference grant are: 1)To plan and convene a conference for past and present program participants, past and present program faculty and representative of federal, state and private sector agencies who are funding and setting policy regarding minority-focused HIV prevention research; 2) To evaluate the impact of the conference in promoting networking, collaborative research and mentoring relationships and in affecting funding and policy decisions among conference attendees; 3) To create a list of recommendations regarding research and funding priorities for HIV prevention in communities of color, and; 4)To disseminate the conference presentations and the conference-generated recommendations regarding research and funding priorities for HIV prevention in communities of color to a variety of stakeholders including researchers, community service providers and public and private agencies involved in funding and policy decisions regarding HIV prevention research. Minority communities are disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS. At the same time, minority researchers are underrepresented among those receiving federal funding for research in this critical area. The Collaborative HIV Prevention in Minority Communities (CRMC) program has been funded since 1997 to 1) increase the amount of innovative and scientifically excellent HIV prevention with minority communities and 2) to increase the number of funded investigators from underrepresented minority groups. To date we have trained 37 scientists who have gone on to conduct research in this area and to create a productive national network. This conference will bring together former and current program participants and faculty and representatives of funding agencies. This historic conference will produce a list of recommendations for future research and funding that will be widely distributed to academics, community practitioners, funders and policy makers.