The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR)

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This is a competing renewal for the new Johns Hopkins University CFAR, initially funded in 2012. The new CFAR had a complete change in leadership, a major reorganization, a number of new and highly innovative approaches, and the enthusiastic and vigorous participation and support of the entire JHU HIV research community and the institution's leaders, who have contributed $2.25 million of additional support to fund additional developmental awards, student engagement, and outreach activities. For the past 4 years the CFAR has reinvigorated the HIV community at JHU, built thriving platforms through which interdisciplinary collaboration occurs, engaged new and junior investigators in cutting-edge research activities, provided vitally needed developmental resources for conducting pilot studies that lead to extramural funding, and contributed to the recruitment of new faculty, particularly 6 members of underrepresented minority groups. The CFAR has served over 373 HIV investigators, >130 NIH grants, and provided mentoring and assistance to 212 early stage investigators. Developmental Awards to early stage investigators or those new to HIV research have resulted in $57 million in new extramural awards, and our Internal Scientific Reviews of NIH applications have contributed to the funding of 14 new R01 or similar grants. The overall goal of this competing renewal application is to continue and enhance the ability of the Johns Hopkins University CFAR to nurture and support high-impact HIV research and researchers across a broad range of disciplines and specialties in the multiple divisions of this major research university. Our specific aims are 1) to enhance the integration and productivity of HIV/AIDS research by promoting inter-disciplinary innovation and collaboration; 2) to provide mentoring, support, and pilot funding for the next generation of HIV/AIDS researchers, with a commitment to recruiting researchers from underrepresented minority groups; 3) to support HIV/AIDS researchers with direct services to assist with recruitment of clinical research participants, performance of laboratory assays, design and analysis of research studies, and training in research methodologies; and 4) to mobilize and coordinate capacity from across JHU to combat the HIV epidemic in Baltimore through engagement, training, outreach, and evaluation of community-based intervention studies. The CFAR has 6 Cores and 3 Scientific Working Groups that provide services and support innovation in high-priority HIV research. The Baltimore HIV Collaboratory, and its Plan Baltimore 2020 project coordinate the JHU response to the local epidemic, orchestrating HIV research and outreach activities, and expanding the pipeline of future HIV researchers through the Baltimore HIV Scholars Program and Generation Tomorrow, initiatives aimed at students. The Provost and Deans of the 3 health professions schools at JHU have committed institutional funds of $2.7 million to support pilot awards, student recruitment, and Baltimore engagement. The CFAR will continue to have a galvanizing and transformative impact on HIV/AIDS research at JHU and we are delighted to submit this renewal application.