Developmental Core (Core B)

Developmental Core ABSTRACT The Developmental Core (DC) serves as both a magnet and an engine for the Tennessee Center for AIDS Research (CFAR): a magnet that attracts early-stage and established investigators into HIV research, and an engine that provides structure and drive to nurture promising researchers toward successful NIH grant funding. The overarching goal of the DC is to increase the number of CFAR investigators with NIH-funded HIV research projects. Over the first 4 years of the current grant cycle, 50% of ESI without a career development grant who received a DC Award subsequently secured a K-series award in HIV research and joined the CFAR faculty. In addition, several past DC awardees have advanced to leadership roles in this CFAR. The DC Awards program supports meritorious proposals from promising investigators and facilitates the development of these pilot projects into subsequent successful NIH grant applications. This includes consistent, proactive, strategic mentoring to ESI both before and after they apply for DC Awards, as well as one-on-one outreach to unfunded applicants to assess the adequacy of mentorship and offer advice and advocacy. The DC facilitates linkage to the many phenomenal local career development resources and non-CFAR funding mechanisms open to Vanderbilt and Meharry faculty, and connects mid-career investigators with ESIs to provide guidance on navigating career pathways and build mid-career mentorship skills. The DC emphasizes programs that encourage investigators to engage in HIV research and provides focused participatory research training for investigators. The DC will continue programs to increase DC awardee manuscript and grant submission productivity, sustain actionable bi-directional evaluations of mentors and mentees, and continue annual DC Retreats focused on career development and cross-institutional strategies to support ESI trainees and faculty. The overarching goal of the DC translates into three complementary aims: 1) To administer a robust DC Awards program that supports pilot interdisciplinary HIV research projects, with a focus on ESI and established investigators who are new to HIV research; 2) To ensure consistent and effective mentoring of investigators new to HIV research, with a focus on ESI, to enhance competitiveness for extramural funding; and 3) To grow the pool of investigators engaged in HIV research and facilitate new strategic collaborations among faculty internal and external to CFAR and partner institutions, to expand innovative HIV research.