Pilot Projects in HIV Research

Idea light bulb

“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” – Victor Hugo

CIRA’s Pilot Projects in HIV Research Program offers funding for preliminary and/or feasibility studies in HIV-related research that will ultimately lead to larger studies evaluating novel interventions or implementation strategies. This funding mechanism is not intended to supplement the costs of activities covered by another grant.

For questions about this funding mechanism, please contact Daniel Davidson (daniel.davidson@yale.edu).

Previous Pilot Awardees

  • 2020
    • Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with HIV with tobacco use: A mixed-methods Study (P.I.: Eva Jennifer Edelman)
    • Using Web-based Peer Support to Increase HIV Testing Among Men who have Sex with Men in Kenya (P.I.: Deanne Turner)
  • 2019
    • Optimizing PrEP’s Potential in Non-Clinical Settings: Development and Evaluation of a PrEP Shared Decision Making Tool for Women Seeking Domestic Violence Services (P.I.: Jaimie Meyer & Tiara Willie)
  • 2018
    • Developing social capital interventions to improve viral suppression and quality of life among HIV- positive aging populations in New Haven, CT. (P.I.: Yusuf Ransome)
    • Interrupting HIV stigma in the household using home HIV testing offers in South Africa. (PIs: Luke Davis, Mari Armstrong-Hough)
  • 2017
    • Adapting an evidence-based intervention for stigma-related stress, mental health, and HIV risk for MSM of color in small urban areas (P.I.: John Pachankis, Krystn Wagner)
    • Barriers to HIV Care for Adults 50yo+, a Neglected but at-Risk Population in Ukraine (P.I.: Julia Rozanova, Sheela Shenoi)
  • 2016
    • Assessing Local HIV Care Continuum Experiences in Small Cities (P.I.: Lauretta Grau, Thomas Stopka)
    • Pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation for HIV prevention among substance-using men who have sex with men (P.I.: Philip Chan, Jacob van den Berg, Trace Kershaw, Eva Jennifer Edelman)
    • A Theory-informed Education and Counseling Intervention for HIV-TB Treatment Adherence (TEACH) in South Africa and Uganda (P.I.: Luke Davis, Sheela Shenoi)
    • Rapid Assessment and Response to Substance Use and Risk of HIV and Other Blood-Borne Infections Among Displaced Populations in Beirut, Lebanon (P.I.: Kaveh Khoshnood)
    • Who’s On Board: Parent, Child, and Provider Attitudes towards the Feasibility of PrEP Uptake among Adolescents (P.I.: Tamara Taggart, Tashuna Albritton)
  • 2015
    • Implementing PrEP in a Family Planning Setting (P.I.: Sarah Calabrese)
    • Feasibility of a Multi-Sector Collaboration to Initiate PrEP Uptake among IPV-Exposed Women (P.I.: Trace Kershaw)
    • Developing a Comprehensive Model of the HIV Care Continuum in Nine Small Cities in CT, MA and RI (P.I.: Lauretta Grau, Thomas Stopka)
  • 2014
    • HIV Prevention Needs among Unstably Housed Youth in Small Urban Areas (P.I.: Heather Mosher)
    • Estimating the Size of Hidden and Hard-to-Reach Populations Using Respondent- Driven Sampling (P.I.: Forrest Crawford) 
    • Implementation of HIV PrEP for MSM with and without Substance Use in Providence, RI and New Haven, CT (P.I.: E. Jennifer Edelman, Phillip Chan, Brandon D.L. Marshall, Onyema Ogbuagu)
  • 2013
    • HIV Prevention Needs among MSM in Small Urban Areas (P.I.: John Pachankis, Danya Keene) 
    • Barriers to Implementation of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy in Rural South Africa (P.I.: Sheela Shonoi)
    • Overweight/Obesity & Weight Gain among HIV-positive Prisoners in Rhode Island: Prevalence and Intervention Feasibility (P.I.: Amy Smoyer)