R13AI184069

The 18th Interest Conference - Abstract. The most recent UNAIDS estimates of the global burden of HIV are that 39.0 million people are living with HIV-1 infection worldwide, with 65.6% of them residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite an overall 38% worldwide decline in newly acquired infections, we still faced a staggering number of 1.3 million new infection and 630,000 deaths in 2022.

A difference still exists between the East/Southern and the West/Central regions of sub-Saharan Africa, with reductions in AIDS-related deaths in 2021 of 50% and 43% since 2010, respectively. Clearly, much work remains in terms of training health care workers including local physicians and scientists in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of individuals with HIV-1 infection; conducting implementation science to determine the most cost-effective use of financial and human resources; and ensuring evidence-informed public health policy and programming to reduce disparities in the AIDS response across Africa’s sub-regions.

Despite treatment likely having contributed to slowing HIV transmission, HIV prevention remains critical to stem the tide of HIV. In fact, a second AIDS pandemic in the next 12 years is predicted due to 1) changing demographics in Africa with increasing numbers of youth, 2) increasing transmitted viral drug resistance, and 3) increased cost and limited availability of 2nd and 3rd line treatment regimens. These factors suggest that the total number of people living with AIDS may increase by 2 million/year to reach a staggering 50 million worldwide by 2030.

Since 2007, 17 successful annual Interest Conferences, known as the ‘African CROI’, have brought together scientists involved in HIV diagnosis and treatment, pathogenesis, and prevention research in resource-limited settings in Africa to share pivotal findings, promote collaboration, and transfer experiences across several fields and many continents. Planning and organization of the 2024 Interest Conference will be overseen by the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development.

Dr. Kwasi Torpey (University of Ghana School of Public Health/Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development) chairs Interest’s International Conference Committee (ICC) and is the scientific chair of Interest. The organizers of the 2024 Interest Conference will pursue the following objectives to target the early-stage African investigators who will be provided the necessary travel support by this proposal: 1) to provide cutting-edge knowledge in the fields of diagnosis and treatment, pathogenesis and prevention of HIV-1 for adults, adolescents and children living with HIV in Africa, in order to contribute to achieving the 95-95-95 viral suppression goal and to preventing a second great HIV pandemic. 2) to provide career development opportunities to early-stage investigators who represent the potential future scientific leadership for health care and research on the African continent and foster new research interactions between them and leading investigators in the field.

Duke University

TO ASSIST PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ESTABLISH, EXPAND AND IMPROVE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS, TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS. TO ASSIST PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS, TO PROVIDE RESEARCH SERVICES AS REQUIRED BY THE AGENCY FOR PROGRAMS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND CONTROLLING DISEASE CAUSED BY INFECTIOUS OR PARASITIC AGENTS, ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS. PROJECTS RANGE FROM STUDIES OF MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE TO COLLABORATIVE TRIALS OF EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS AND VACCINES, MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS AS WELL AS RESEARCH DEALING WITH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS OR COMMUNITY POPULATIONS AND PROGRESS IN ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES. BECAUSE OF THIS DUAL FOCUS, THE PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES BOTH BASIC RESEARCH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM EXPANDS AND IMPROVES PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THE SBIR PROGRAM INTENDS TO INCREASE AND FACILITATE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM STIMULATES AND FOSTERS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTISTS DURING THE FORMATIVE STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS (NRSAS) ARE MADE DIRECTLY TO APPROVE APPLICANTS FOR RESEARCH TRAINING IN SPECIFIED BIOMEDICAL SHORTAGE AREAS. IN ADDITION, INSTITUTIONAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS ARE MADE TO ENABLE INSTITUTIONS TO SELECT AND MAKE AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS TO RECEIVE TRAINING UNDER THE AEGIS OF THEIR INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM.

93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [HHS - NIH]

Durham, North Carolina 27710 United States

Single Zip Code

NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PA-21-151)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 160% from $25,000 to $65,000.