University of Washington/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS Research

ABSTRACT This is a competing renewal application for the UW/Fred Hutch CFAR, a Tier 3 CFAR in its 35th year and one of the original CFARs launched in 1988. Our CFAR is a multi-institutional consortium including the University of Washington (UW), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FH), Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI), and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (minority affiliate). Our CFAR has grown from 75 members in 1988 to 725 in 2022, with participation across 38 UW departments, 5 Fred Hutch divisions, and a large network of local and global connections, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. NIH 2021 HIV research funding to our 5 consortium institutions exceeded $ 151M, a 10% increase in the past 5 years, with representation from most NIH Institutes that co-sponsor CFAR. Our CFAR has catalyzed substantial growth in research infrastructure, domestic and international partnerships, and impact; the return on investment on CFAR developmental awards is 1767% and $3 million in institutional contributions for the next 5-year cycle. For this renewal application, we conducted an 11-step strategic planning process with input from our members and advisory committees. Key innovations include an intentional focus on EDI and community partnerships; our new Director and co-Director; Directors of EDI and Community Engagement; restructuring Cores and SWGs to focus on our scientific priorities:1) Discover novel insights about HIV pathogenesis with translation into practice; 2) For HIV-associated malignancies and non-communicable diseases, conduct epidemiologic, clinical and translational research on diagnosis, prevention and treatment interventions; 3) Design and implement testing, prevention, and treatment strategies to mitigate health disparities and to achieve 95:95:95 goals for the HIV cascade. Our proposal is founded on 2 cross-cutting themes: 1) Foster an inclusive, collaborative research environment rooted in anti-racist and decolonizing principles; and 2) Cultivate equitable and mutually beneficial community partnerships that inform CFAR research priorities and facilitate implementation and impact. Our overall Strategic Aims are to: 1) Initiate and facilitate multidisciplinary, community-engaged research spanning basic to implementation science, with demonstrated impact on the local and global HIV epidemic, and 2) Develop and increase the diversity of next generation investigators by providing infrastructure and resources for innovative research and leadership opportunities. Our CFAR will have multidisciplinary cross-connections and provide novel science and services, through 2 Translational Science Cores (Immunology, Retrovirology & Cure; Biomarkers and Prevention of HIV-Associated Malignancies and Non-Communicable Diseases), 3 Clinical Cores (Clinical and Comorbidity Research; Behavioral Innovations; Implementation Science), 3 cross-cutting Cores (Administrative, Developmental, and Data Sciences and Methods), and 2 Scientific Working Groups (Substance Use, and Health Equity). Our mature CFAR is vibrant, and will leverage our scientific expertise and resources in novel ways to foster impactful science and the next generation of research leaders.