NIAID Seeks Applicants to Lead Revamped HIV/AIDS
Clinical Trials Networks
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
today announced that it is restructuring its HIV/AIDS clinical trials
networks and soliciting investigators and institutions to lead the
reorganized effort. This reorganization, designed in response to
both the changing face of the AIDS epidemic and evolving scientific
challenges, will enable NIAID and its many collaborators to effectively
continue their research for safe, effective and affordable drugs,
preventive strategies and HIV vaccines. The new network leadership
that will be established through this process will direct, coordinate
and conduct NIAID-funded HIV/AIDS clinical research both domestically
and internationally. NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), supports the worlds largest portfolio of clinical research
in HIV prevention, vaccine and treatment.
This clinical leadership solicitation reflects our vision
to improve coordination, collaboration and flexibility in NIAID-supported
HIV/AIDS prevention, vaccine and treatment research, says
NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. The current NIAID AIDS
research structure was critical to the discovery of antiretrovirals
to treat HIV-1 in adults and children; the development of strategies
to successfully prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission; and the
significant progress in the global search for an AIDS vaccine. This
newly designed clinical research structure will now provide us with
the opportunity to build on those successes and address future global
research challenges.
The leadership solicitation, known as a Request for Applications
(RFA), is now available for review by interested parties on the
NIAID Web site (see below for details). A second RFA, to be released
in early 2005, will solicit applications for the Clinical Trial
Units (CTUs) that will implement the research plans of the networks.
Funding for the two RFAs is expected to total up to $300 million
for the first year, and funding may continue for up to seven years.
The research structure resulting from this competition will enable
NIAIDs Division of AIDS to more effectively respond to global
research needs, including those of people of color, those who live
in poverty, and women, all of whom are increasingly affected by
the HIV/AIDS pandemic and continue to be under-represented in clinical
research.
We are pleased to be making this announcement on World AIDS
Day, says Dr. Fauci, as this years World AIDS
Day theme focuses on Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS.
Each network leadership group selected as part of this competition
will work with NIAID and other NIH Institutes on a focused research
effort. To most effectively coordinate across disciplines, each
network can address significant scientific questions in one or more
of six priority research areas
- Developing HIV vaccines
- Translating research insights into therapeutic products to treat
HIV disease
- Optimizing clinical management of HIV/AIDS, including co-infections
and other HIV-related conditions
- Developing microbicides to prevent HIV acquisition and transmission
- Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV
- Developing other methods of HIV prevention
The decision to revamp the clinical research structure emerged
following extensive consultations with researchers, clinicians,
community, nurses, advocates and people living with and at risk
for HIV/AIDS. The new approach is designed to increase the efficiency,
accountability and integration of NIAIDs HIV/AIDS clinical
research networks and enhance their capacity to effectively conduct
vital clinical research, especially in resource-limited settings.
Specifically, the new clinical research structure will
- Maximize scientific opportunities by integrating and coordinating
HIV/AIDS prevention, vaccine and therapeutic research and maintaining
a flexible and responsive approach to emerging research challenges
- Build and strengthen HIV/AIDS research capacity, especially
in resource-limited settings
- Improve research efficiency through the shared use of key support
services
- Improve evaluation methods to ensure that the highest research
priorities are addressed
Application Information
Any domestic public or private organization, profit or nonprofit,
can apply under the leadership RFA. These organizations include
universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, divisions of state
and local governments, and eligible agencies of the U.S. federal
government.
A pre-application meeting for those interested in the leadership
RFA will be held on December 13 on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD.
Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the scientific merit
of the proposed program components as determined by peer review,
NIAIDs programmatic priorities and the availability of funds.
Between three and six network leadership groups will be funded;
the number will be determined by the scope and quality of the clinical
programs proposed by the group of applicants. The earliest anticipated
award date is March 2006. Copies of the Leadership RFA and information
on the pre-application meeting can be obtained at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/daids/rfa/network06.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health, an
agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID
supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat
infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential
agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on transplantation
and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma
and allergies. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related
materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.
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