FY2019 CFAR Administrative Supplements in HIV/AIDS

The goal of the 2019 Inter-CFAR Women and HIV Symposium is to share cutting edge research, extend knowledge, and foster action to address gaps toward understanding the complex clinical, biological and social aspects of HIV in women. Organized for the sixth time by the Inter-CFAR Collaboration on HIV Research in Women working group, this symposium will focus on all aspects of HIV in the context of women and will guide new strategies for future research on HIV-related issues unique to women. In contrast to other conferences, this meeting specifically highlights the work of early-stage investigators, including underrepresented minorities. Very few national conferences feature representatives of these groups in such prominent roles, drawing together researchers who may not otherwise have such opportunities. The format of this meeting will maximize the effectiveness of strategies to advance the field by facilitating considerable dialogue among the stakeholders and promoting mentoring and development of early stage and under-represented investigators. The Women and HIV Symposium will provide support and opportunities for early-stage investigators and underrepresented minorities to attend as participants through travel scholarships, early stage investigator focused oral and poster presentations, mentoring activities, and networking sessions with senior leaders in the field. The meeting will be hosted by the Chicago-based Third Coast CFAR (TC-CFAR), which is located at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. The 3 research themes of the meeting are 1) The impact of hormonal contraceptives on HIV acquisition; 2) Sex differences in long-acting ART formulations; and 3) Optimizing PrEP for men, women, and transgender populations. All sessions will integrate basic, clinical, and sociobehavioral sciences in the invited talks. Panel discussions will be held at the end of the invited talks (30 minutes), and selected ESI abstracts will be presented (15 minutes). A senior investigator will be paired with a junior level investigator and a community representative to lead each session. The panels will clarify key questions and develop future research strategies to will advance the field. Opportunities for informal networking between junior and senior investigators in the field will be provided throughout the meeting, including a networking and mentoring lunch with breakout topics and a networking mixer/poster session on the first evening. These networking opportunities will be complemented by a mentoring-focused session that will highlight grant preparation advice, current NIH funding priorities and opportunities, and CFAR-related resources available to facilitate women’s focused research. Outcomes from past conferences include new collaborations and innovative approaches, faculty appointments/promotions, and funded grant applications.