The Minority Institutional Research Training Program in HIV/AIDS
NAMHC Concept Clearance — May 13, 2005
Presenter
David M. Stoff, Ph.D.
Program Chief
Neuropsychiatry of HIV/AIDS, AIDS Research Training, HIV/AIDS Health Disparities
Center for Mental Health Research on AIDS
Division of AIDS and Health and Behavior Research
Description
This initiative will support the establishment of The NIMH Minority Institutional Research Training Program in HIV/AIDS (T32), a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Program, intended to support research training of individuals in doctoral and postdoctoral programs at minority schools having the potential to develop meritorious training programs relevant to the mission of the Center for Mental Health Research on AIDS (CMHRA). Visit the NIMH website to find areas of research interest to the CMHRA. It is expected that this program will significantly enhance the number of minority scientists trained to conduct mental health research in HIV/AIDS. The NIMH Minority Institutional Research Training Program in HIV/AIDS is designed to attract students in their developmental stages; to increase their awareness of mental health aspects of HIV/AIDS research (e.g. prevention, basic and clinical neuroAIDS, therapeutics) and to encourage them to pursue research career opportunities in this area.
This program will be administered to a domestic college or university with student enrollment drawn substantially from minority ethnic groups (including African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives and non-Asian Pacific Islanders). Each training grant from the proposed RFA will support a regional program with the capability of supporting trainees at multiple institutions at regional programs, networks of multiple programs involving a minimum of 3 institutions. The minority institution must identify and collaborate with a research center (medical school or comparable institution) that have strong, well-established mental-health related research and research training programs in HIV/AIDS. Cooperation and collaboration between institution is needed to provide each trainee with a mentor who is recognized as an accomplished investigator in mental-health related research of HIV/AIDS and who will assist the advisor at the minority institution with the trainee’s development and research plan. The use of shared resources and expertise will be encouraged to assist in focused HIV/AIDS mental health research and research career development. Through these networks, lasting scientific partnerships will be fostered across the spectrum of HIV/AIDS mental health research areas, from the behavioral and social sciences, to neuroAIDS, to treatment and prevention.
