Funder: National Institute of Mental Health
Project period: 09/30/2021 - 02/28/2023
Grant Type: Research
Further Detail
Abstract Text:
Although there are effective prevention and treatment tools available to end the HIV epidemic, their impact on reducing HIV incidence, morbidity, and mortality in the United States has been limited by challenges in identifying and deploying those that are feasible, acceptable, and sustainable. Implementation science (IS) can be used to overcome these challenges; thus, increasing IS capacity is critical for HIV prevention and treatment efforts. As interest increases for IS Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) projects, need for IS consultation, technical support, and capacity building is expanding commensurately. Leveraging the expertise of Yale's Center for Methods in Implementation and Prevention Science and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, we will continue the work of our R3EDI (Rigorous, Rapid, & Relevant Evidence aDaptation & Implementation) IS consultation hub to EHE, providing technical assistance, coaching, training, and consultative services to EHE project teams, HIV researchers and federal agencies, in collaboration with the IS Coordination, Consultation and Collaboration Initiative (ISC3I), creating opportunities to translate local knowledge into generalizable knowledge whenever possible. R3EDI offers comprehensive expertise in IS methods, frameworks, strategies, measures and outcomes in HIV/AIDS research, design and management of experimental and observational IS studies, data collection, sampling; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods analytic approaches; public health ethics, partnership formation, and community-based participatory research. With ISC3I, R3EDI will collect data on measures and outcomes from projects served, providing data requested by NIH/HHS for these projects. We will collaborate with ISC3I and the other IS technical assistance hubs around the country in the design and conduct of a multisite pilot implementation research study to further advance EHE efforts, engaging implementation partners and developing the shared protocol in Year 1, executing the protocol and harmonizing findings in Year 2. We will collaborate with the inter-Centers for AIDS Research HIV-related Training Fellowship in IS, providing technical expertise and mentoring as needed. As part of efforts to broaden the reach of our collective HIV IS technical assistance, ISC3I and the Hubs will form a working group to support the IS needs of federal partners (e.g., CDC, HRSA) and non-supplement projects (e.g., EHE R01s) focused on HIV IS. R3EDI's activities will maximize IS rigor, rapidity, and relevance in EHE projects and within the ISC3I- led cross-hub collaboration, increasing partnerships, and ensuring consultees receive effective, timely services having an impact beyond this supplement, leading to future collaborations between us and EHE researchers.
