The HIV Nexus Scholars Program: A Research Education Program for Early-Stage Investigators Working at the Intersection of Biomedical, Social/Behavioral, and Clinical Science

PROJECT SUMMARY This application supports the launch of the innovative HIV Nexus Scholars Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) under NIAID PAR-20-289. This program will leverage a rich infrastructure of training, research, and expertise to address cross-cutting, high-priority areas in the 2019/2020 Office of AIDS Research (OAR) Strategic Plan and NIAID mission, including the integration of state-of-the-art biomedical, social/behavioral, and clinical science; health inequities research; and training and diversifying the research workforce to conduct high-priority HIV research. Our program will provide three years of education, research experiences, and mentoring to early-stage investigators (ESIs) from outside institutions who have not yet attained R01-level funding, but who demonstrate a commitment to improving the health of U.S. marginalized communities (e.g., racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities) disproportionately affected by HIV, and are initiating innovative research at the intersection of biomedical, social/behavioral, and clinical science. Scientists from or closely connected to the most impacted communities are often best positioned to lead research that addresses the specific needs of the affected populations, consistent with the objectives of the 2019/2020 Office of AIDS Research Strategic Plan and the critical need to foster diverse scholars in the HIV research pipeline. The centerpiece of the Nexus Scholars Program is an intensive six-week annual training institute in which Scholars are in residence at UCSF for three consecutive summers, where they meet frequently with mentors, connect with other researchers, participate in skills-development short courses/seminars, develop and implement applied research experience plans, and conceptualize and write NIH funding applications. Such training will provide a foundation for the next generation of HIV researchers who are prepared to continue and outpace the recent momentum to end the HIV epidemic, particularly in communities disproportionately affected.