CALIBER Pilot Core

University Of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Pilot Core will advance the proposed Center for Alcohol/HIV Innovations and Biomarker Research (CALIBER) by providing funding, training and support for early-stage investigators (ESIs) to design and lead innovative pilot projects that integrate alcohol measurement technology to reduce the harmful role of alcohol on HIV prevention, HIV treatment, or HIV-related co-morbidities. To advance the CALIBER, the Pilot Core will invest in the training of 9 ESIs with demonstrated histories of working with populations with the greatest HIV burden and impacted by alcohol-related health issues. Each ESI will go through a new, 2-year program called the Pilot Research and Training Program (PRTP). The PRTP is a 2-year long program that ESIs will complete in three small cohorts (3 ESIs in each cohort). ESIs will propose a pilot project in the HIV and alcohol areas aligned with the CALIBER and complete in-person and virtual hands-on trainings to refine their projects with both research experts and community members. ESIs will also receive project-specific and career mentorship and networking opportunities through the large affiliations of the CALIBER (e.g., the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study, the Centers for AIDS Research). ESIs will receive $25,000 in pilot funding to complete their proposed research and then continue to receive training in manuscript development and subsequent NIH grant submissions. The Pilot Core and the PRTP are designed to synergize with the Dissemination and Community Engagement (DICE) Core so that all pilot projects are community informed and whose findings can be synthesized and disseminated for application in real-world settings. The aims are: To promote the development of early-stage investigators engaged in research on alcohol and HIV that takes advantage of alcohol measurement technology (Aim 1); To provide comprehensive support for completing pilot project research and development of future grant proposals (Aim 2); To rigorously evaluate and refine the PRTP and establish the PRTP as a model for training ESIs in HIV and alcohol research (Aim 3). The Pilot Core and its PRTP are positioned for success for several reasons. First, they are led by experts who run several programs that train, develop and mentor ESIs. Second, the CALIBER’s Administrative Core, DICE Core and its three research projects (Projects 1, 2 and 3) will coordinate efforts and bring multidisciplinary expertise that can be called upon to provide timely and hands-on support to ESIs facing project challenges and delays. The Pilot Core is making a large investment in time and resources to provide and manage a pilot award and training program that provides an unparalleled training opportunity for ESIs advancing the CALIBER’s mission to address the harmful role alcohol plays in the HIV epidemic.