Social and Behavioral Sciences Core

SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES CORE (CORE E) PROJECT SUMMARY The goal of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Core is to support the DC CFAR mission to end the HIV epidemic and improve the health and quality of life of people living with HIV (PWH) in DC and beyond by advancing understanding of the ways in which social-structural factors continue to impede the health of PWH and disproportionately drive the acquisition of HIV among communities disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. The SBS Core is led by Drs. Deanna Kerrigan, David Huebner, Nina Yamanis and Tamara Taggart with support from Drs. Lisa Bowleg and Julie Pulerwitz. This team of recognized experts and leaders in their fields have complementary expertise in social, structural and behavioral theory, methods and interventions including intersectional and multilevel approaches; implementation science; and community driven research. The Specific Aims of the Core are to: 1) support HIV scientists in the development and implementation of innovative and theoretically and methodologically rigorous grant applications that draw on the social and behavioral sciences; 2) foster and strengthen DC CFAR implementation science (IS) expertise by providing support to the development and successful implementation of high impact IS grants and initiatives; 3) support academic investigators and community partners in the development, implementation and dissemination of responsive, collaborative and impactful community driven research; and 4) advance knowledge and use of state-of-the art social and behavioral science theory and methods within the SBS Core, across the DC CFAR and through a team science approach. Strategies for accomplishing these aims will include implementing a tailored approach to grant development and implementation for social and behavioral and implementation scientists with a specific focus on early stage investigators; building an online catalogue of specific aims and grant development and implementation components; creating an IS partner and resource navigation tool and instituting bi-weekly SBS Core office hours during which Core leaders will be available for consultations on social and behavioral theory and methods. The SBS Core is well positioned to achieve its four aims in support of the DC CFAR’s mission given its demonstrated success in providing services that support grant acquisition leveraging SBS and IS theory, methods and interventions, an expert and synergistic team, and established relationships with academic investigator, community and governmental partners in and beyond the DC CFAR.