Cutting-edge, Customized, and Comprehensive (CCC) HIV capacity building for Vietnam and Thailand

ABSTRACT Continuous training and career support will nurture junior to mid-career faculties and researchers in Vietnam and Thailand to become regional leaders and driving forces in HIV/AIDS control in Southeast Asia. In response to PAR-22-151, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) proposes to provide Cutting-edge, Customized, and Comprehensive (CCC) capacity building for faculties and researchers at Hanoi Medical University (HMU) in Vietnam and Chiang Mai University (CMU) in Thailand. The partnership is built upon the three institutes’ previous and current research and training collaborations and will leverage the existing research and mentoring infrastructures at UCLA, including the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM), Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS), UCLA-Charles R. Drew University (CDU) Center for AIDS Research (UCLA-CDU CFAR), Division of Population and Behavioral Health (DPBH) Center of Excellence (COE), Integrated Substance Abuse Program (ISAP), and University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI) GloCal Health Fellowship Program. The CCC program will support four junior to mid- level faculty from HMU/CMU each year (two from each institute each year in Years 1-4; totaling 16 trainees) to receive training in three pillars: 1) research (develop research agenda and apply for independent research funding), 2) mentoring (improve skills and curriculum to teach and mentor the next generation of public health professionals), and 3) leadership (nurture leadership skills and ascend into leadership positions in a Southeast Asia HIV Research Advancement Hub [SAHRAH] as a result of this program). Aligned with NIH HIV priorities, the training contents will center around cutting-edge evidence-based pharmaceutical and bio- behavioral strategies to prevent and treat HIV and comorbidities. The trainees will receive customized, hands- on training based on their individualized career development, starting with a 9-month visit at UCLA for intensive engagement in workshops, seminars, courses, and research projects, followed by a one-year structured in- country training encompassing in-country research, summer institutes, cross-country networking events, and exercise of leadership skills within SAHRAH. A highly comprehensive mentorship system, featuring a primary mentor, in-country mentor, transnational mentor, rotational mentor, and peer mentor, will ensure that trainees receive holistic guidance in subject expertise, understanding of local culture and resources, and forging global collaborations. Each trainee will establish individualized SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) training objectives based on their HIV-related manuscripts, conference presentations, career advancement or research proposals, participation in cross-border projects, mentorship in HIV research, and leadership roles. The program will cultivate SAHRAH with a cadre of multidisciplinary faculties and researchers in Vietnam and Thailand, positioning them to lead the subsequent cycle of Fogarty training program application as leaders in HIV research and training in Southeast Asia.