FY2020 CFAR Administrative Supplements in HIV/AIDS

Our objective is to host a planning meeting to help establish a new Inter-Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Working Group for Underrepresented Minorities (URMs) in HIV research. This will be accomplished by hosting the 2021 Inter-CFAR meeting for CFAR-affiliated Underrepresented Minorities in HIV Research in San Francisco, California at the UCSF-Gladstone CFAR. The full-day planning meeting supplement the 8thAnnual Mentoring the Mentors Workshop led by the UCSF-Gladstone CFAR. At the planning meeting, a total of 30 CFAR-affiliated URMs will engage in research-agenda setting and group activities to identify new multidisciplinary HIV research projects targeting high-priority topic areas for high-priority communities and populations. To ensure the success of new multidisciplinary HIV research projects, planning meeting attendees will also discuss inequities and barriers to research that often impede on the success of URM-led research. The full-day planning meeting will be led by a professional facilitator and the UCSF-Gladstone CFAR Mentoring Program Leadership. Prior to the meeting, the UCSF-Gladstone CFAR will conduct pre-meeting surveys from all confirmed attendees to integrate their interest and comments into the planning meeting discussion, specifically how best to align their research interest with NIH High Priority HIV Areas. The format of the meeting is based on the extensive history of meetings and workshops led by the UCSF-Gladstone CFAR, and maximizes interactions and discussion among attendees. This will be one of the first times CFAR-affiliated URMs have come together to share their collective expertise and experience to create a plan to target the 2030 goals in the Ending the Epidemic: A Plan for America. Afterward, the facilitator will also generate a summary report to the Project directly, which outlines results from the discussions and a strategic direction and organizational structure for the new Inter-CFAR Working Group for URM investigators in HIV Research. Post-meeting surveys will be administered to all attendees to evaluate the outcomes, specifically focusing on directions for new inter-CFAR URM-led research collaborations and strategies to support URMs overcoming barriers to research. The Project Director and UCSF-Gladstone CFAR are providing ongoing support to sustain the resources needed to establish a new working group. An outstanding group of seven CFAR-affiliated URMs of diverse backgrounds, expertise, and academic ranks committed to joining the PD in accomplishing the objective of this planning meeting.