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Joe Watabe, MS
CFAR Developmental Core Manager
Spring 2026 funding cycle: Applications available until Monday, March 2nd, 2pm PT.
- Call opens: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
- Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2026 (2:00 pm PST)
- Funding results: Available before end of June 2026
Amount available: $50,000 in direct costs for 1 year
Apply through the UCSF Resource Allocation Program (RAP) portal
The CFAR Mentored Scientist Award (our primary award program) is a mentoring and training grant targeted toward early stage (either at a senior stage of clinical or postdoctoral training or junior faculty) investigators at UCSF or affiliated partner institutes in the conduct of an HIV research project. These awards are designed to acquire preliminary data and research skills to prepare investigators for a future grant effort. Applicants for this award must indicate a faculty research mentor(s) who will commit to guiding the applicant throughout the duration of the proposed project.
Designation of Mentor
All Mentored award applications from individuals at the Assistant Professor level or below require an HIV research mentor. Mentors can, but are not required to, have supervisory authority over the applicant. CFAR requires your research mentor’s support to advise and guide the research portion of your application before submitting it to RAP.
Of high interest to CFAR are investigations ranging from basic pathogenesis to clinical outcomes in the research areas of HIV/aging and inflammation, latency, cure, vaccines, co-infections, HIV in women, implementation science, and research related to HIV-infected and HIV-impacted Bay Area populations. Projects must be within NIH’s HIV/AIDS research high or medium priority areas. Projects in closely related areas (e.g. TB, HCV, drug use, etc.) must be clearly linked to HIV in order to be eligible for CFAR funding.
The award amount is $50,000 in direct costs for one year.
CFAR requests that applicants review the NIAID HIV Language Guide as they prepare their proposals so that they can follow best practices on language for communicating respectfully about HIV and related topics, including the use of person-first, non-stigmatizing language. Please contact us if you have any questions about this request.
For more detailed information about this RFA, please see the RAP Portal.
To see examples of previously funded projects, see the list below.
Mentored Science Awardees
135 Awards
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Developing a Mobile Application for Optimizing HIV Care and Treatment and Healthy Aging Outcomes in Older Men of Color Living with HIV
Developing a Mobile Application for Optimizing HIV Care and Treatment and Healthy Aging Outcomes in Older Men of Color Living with HIV
Abstract
The population of HIV+ individuals achieving viral suppression on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is growing, aging, and experiencing a widening spectrum of diseases and conditions that compromise optimal health. Research on aging with HIV is not well characterized and is especially lacking for older HIV+ racial/ethnic and sexual minorities who face particular social and structural barriers to healthy aging. Mobile technology is a tremendously promising tool for integrating access to care and social support that transcends social and structural barriers.
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Developing a Mobile Application for Optimizing HIV Care and Treatment and Healthy Aging Outcomes in Older Men of Color Living with HIV
Developing a Mobile Application for Optimizing HIV Care and Treatment and Healthy Aging Outcomes in Older Men of Color Living with HIV
Abstract
The population of HIV+ individuals achieving viral suppression on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is growing, aging, and experiencing a widening spectrum of diseases and conditions that compromise optimal health. Research on aging with HIV is not well characterized and is especially lacking for older HIV+ racial/ethnic and sexual minorities who face particular social and structural barriers to healthy aging. Mobile technology is a tremendously promising tool for integrating access to care and social support that transcends social and structural barriers.
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The SUPrEME Study: Substance Use and PrEP adherence among Men who have sex with Men
The SUPrEME Study: Substance Use and PrEP adherence among Men who have sex with Men
Abstract
The SUPrEMe Study: Substance Use and PrEP adherence among Men who have sex with men, will examine the prevalence and pattern of substance use over time (Aim 1) and evaluate the association between substance use and PrEP adherence and persistence (Aim 2) among MSM on PrEP in Manila, Philippines. To advance these aims, I will partner with LYS and the WHO Division of Communicable Diseases in the Western Pacific (see letters of support) to conduct a secondary data analysis of the longitudinal data from Project PrEPPY, the first PrEP implementation project in the Philippines.
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The SUPrEME Study: Substance Use and PrEP adherence among Men who have sex with Men
The SUPrEME Study: Substance Use and PrEP adherence among Men who have sex with Men
Abstract
The SUPrEMe Study: Substance Use and PrEP adherence among Men who have sex with men, will examine the prevalence and pattern of substance use over time (Aim 1) and evaluate the association between substance use and PrEP adherence and persistence (Aim 2) among MSM on PrEP in Manila, Philippines. To advance these aims, I will partner with LYS and the WHO Division of Communicable Diseases in the Western Pacific (see letters of support) to conduct a secondary data analysis of the longitudinal data from Project PrEPPY, the first PrEP implementation project in the Philippines.
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NK-CTL induction by RhCMV-based vaccines
NK-CTL induction by RhCMV-based vaccines
Abstract
Rhesus CMV-vectored SIV (RhCMV/SIV) vaccines have been shown to protect half of vaccinated adult macaques against progressive infection. The vectors elicit unconventional Mamu class II- or Mamu E-restricted CD8+ T cells. The viral backbone of RhCMV/SIV vaccines, cytomegalovirus (CMV), is known to have a panoply of immunologic effects including generation of effector-memory CTLs and “memory” NK cells—innate cells with adaptive features.
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NK-CTL induction by RhCMV-based vaccines
NK-CTL induction by RhCMV-based vaccines
Abstract
Rhesus CMV-vectored SIV (RhCMV/SIV) vaccines have been shown to protect half of vaccinated adult macaques against progressive infection. The vectors elicit unconventional Mamu class II- or Mamu E-restricted CD8+ T cells. The viral backbone of RhCMV/SIV vaccines, cytomegalovirus (CMV), is known to have a panoply of immunologic effects including generation of effector-memory CTLs and “memory” NK cells—innate cells with adaptive features.
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PrEP Awareness and Acceptability among Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System
PrEP Awareness and Acceptability among Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System
Abstract
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated effectiveness for daily use to prevent HIV-infection. Despite PrEP being a promising approach for preventing HIV acquisition, the bulk of the empirical literature has focused on men who have sex with men and heterosexual women in sub-Saharan Africa. Women at high-risk of HIV infection in the United States (US) are largely absent from this body of literature.
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PrEP Awareness and Acceptability among Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System
PrEP Awareness and Acceptability among Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System
Abstract
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated effectiveness for daily use to prevent HIV-infection. Despite PrEP being a promising approach for preventing HIV acquisition, the bulk of the empirical literature has focused on men who have sex with men and heterosexual women in sub-Saharan Africa. Women at high-risk of HIV infection in the United States (US) are largely absent from this body of literature.
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Targeted Behavioral Incentives for Improving Tuberculosis (TB) Diagnostic Evaluation Outcomes
Targeted Behavioral Incentives for Improving Tuberculosis (TB) Diagnostic Evaluation Outcomes
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV), responsible for over one-third of all HIV deaths worldwide. Eliminating TB in this setting is a necessary step in improving overall morbidity and mortality for PLHIV. The new End TB Strategy put forward by the World Health Organization (WHO) outlines key targets required for achieving global TB control including increasing detection of TB cases in Africa by 50%. However, the process of TB diagnosis can be burdensome on patients due to the potentially catastrophic costs associated with accessing TB care.
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Targeted Behavioral Incentives for Improving Tuberculosis (TB) Diagnostic Evaluation Outcomes
Targeted Behavioral Incentives for Improving Tuberculosis (TB) Diagnostic Evaluation Outcomes
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV), responsible for over one-third of all HIV deaths worldwide. Eliminating TB in this setting is a necessary step in improving overall morbidity and mortality for PLHIV. The new End TB Strategy put forward by the World Health Organization (WHO) outlines key targets required for achieving global TB control including increasing detection of TB cases in Africa by 50%. However, the process of TB diagnosis can be burdensome on patients due to the potentially catastrophic costs associated with accessing TB care.