This proposal intends to support development of innovative strategies to identify persons unaware of their HIV infection in specific high-risk populations and examine the acceptability and feasibility of new prevention interventions in the populations and settings identified. Research projects that integrate multiple approaches to achieve these objectives are strongly encouraged.

This Program Announcement encourages collaborations between behavioral and biomedical clinical scientists, epidemiologists, mathematical modelers, and clinical trial design specialists to develop new research strategies and methodologies that will facilitate the design and testing of combination HIV prevention interventions (prevention packages).

Oral therapy sustained-release strategies must have a window of effectiveness of at least 7 days from a single dose. Other approaches must have a minimal window of 30 days from a single dose (injection) or continuous dosing regimen (implant, transdermal patch, etc.). Sustained-release strategies for HIV prevention must have a minimum window of protection of 30 days from either a single dose (injection) or continuous dosing (implant, transdermal patch, etc.).

AVAC is pleased to announce its third global offering of the GPP Online Training Course, a mixed-method web-based approach to building and sustaining capacity around stakeholder engagement! This course offering will run March 21 – July 1, 2016. Applications are now open and due by Monday, February 29. Please see below for full details on the course, past participants’ experiences and how to apply.

About the Course

The GPP Online Training Course is a practical, effective and fun way to learn about the Good Participatory Practice (GPP) Guidelines, which are a set of recommendations for trial funders, advocates and implementers on how to engage a broad set of stakeholders throughout the research process. This course helps learners understand how to use and evaluate GPP in the real world. See below for feedback from past participants!

Through online discussions, interactive modules, webinars and written assignments, all moderated by GPP experts, learners will build their knowledge and skills to effectively engage communities and stakeholders in biomedical HIV prevention research processes.

This offering will have two different tracks to accommodate a wide range of learners:

• Track A is designed for research implementers, or individuals directly responsible for GPP or community engagement at a trial site. All learners who complete the requirements for Track A will receive a GPP Implementer Certificate.
• Track B is designed for stakeholders not directly responsible for GPP implementation but interested in understanding GPP concepts and applications, e.g., research coordinators, civil society advocates and regulators. All learners who complete Track B requirements will receive a GPP Course Completion Certificate.

What Past Participants Are Saying

All prior participants have rated the course overall as “very good” or “excellent”; 84 percent said they would recommend the course to a colleague. See how past participants describe their experiences:

“The GPP course was the best capacity development gift that has enhanced my skills in community engagement to build a healthier nation as an advocate of HIV prevention methods in South Africa.” – Neetha Morar, engagement manager, South African Medical Research Council

“Overall GPP training is an eye opening and very fruitful course; I can advise everyone working as community outreach personnel, recruiter or educator at the research center to attend this course.” – Erica Sanga, community engagement implementer, Mbeya Medical Research Council

“This course has been very helpful for putting into perspective some of the strategies my organization currently uses to engage stakeholders—including both approaches that have worked and areas that could be improved.” –Alicia Chou, engagement coordinator, Regan Udall Foundation

Click here to download the GPP Online Application (right click and select “save as”) or visit the course page on the AVAC website.

All completed applications are due to Jessica Salzwedel no later than February 29, 2016. If you have any questions about the GPP Online Training Course, please email Jessica Salzwedel ([email protected]) or Stacey Hannah ([email protected]).

AVAC is delighted to announce the 2016 AVAC Advocacy Fellows—the seventh class of Fellows! Please join us in congratulating these six talented advocates. With this new class, the AVAC Fellows family has grown to 50! We hope you’ll find ways to collaborate with the new Fellows in 2016 and beyond.

The 2016 Advocacy Fellows were selected from a pool of nearly 100 applicants from over 20 countries across the globe. We thank all of the applicants and their proposed host organizations for the time and effort put into this process, and we’re also grateful to the independent review committee of advocates, scientists and former Fellows and Hosts who guided decision-making.

The 2016 Advocacy Fellows are:

• Kingsley Chasanga at Malawi Network of AIDS Service Organisations, Malawi
• Amaka Enemo at the Heartland Alliance, Nigeria
• Chilufya Hampongo at the Treatment Advocacy & Literacy Campaign, Zambia
• Ntombozuko Kraai at the Wellness Foundation, South Africa
• Lepheana Mosooane at Jhpiego, Lesotho
• Godfrey Okumu at Impact Research and Development Organization, Kenya

Last year brought important HIV prevention developments on a number of fronts that 2015 Fellows and alumni engaged with, in a variety of capacities. Now, 2016ers take the baton, working in a world where WHO recommends the offer of treatment for everyone living with HIV and the option of daily oral PrEP for those at substantial risk; where VMMC rollout has accelerated but flat funding looms large; where the microbicide field is readying itself for results from the two dapivirine vaginal ring trials; and the vaccine field is on track to initiate two large efficacy trials. The 2016 Fellows have bold ideas to address many of these opportunities and challenges in their Fellowship year, which begins on April 1.

The 2016 Fellows join a fantastic group of 44 Advocacy Fellow Alumni from eight sub-Saharan African countries and China who have participated in the program since its inception. Please visit the Advocacy Fellows page and follow the P-Values blog to learn more about the new Fellows’ planned work for the year and to learn about the Alumni Fellows’ ongoing work.

A Call for Applications for the 2017 Fellows Program will be announced this June with an application deadline in August. If you would like to be notified of the 2017 Call for Applications or have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

NIAID’s new APHRODITE clinical research trial seeks to determine if an experimental drug called CC-11050 is safe, well-tolerated, and effective in reducing inflammation in people with HIV. This Phase 1 study is being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Participation involves about 7 visits over about 6 months. Read more at: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02652546.

Abstract submission, registration, and scholarship applications are now open for HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) 2016. Plan now to join us for HIVR4P 2016, 17–20 October 2016, Sheraton Grand Hotel, Chicago, USA.

As the Regional Community Partner for AIDS 2016, ARASA is committed to assisting civil society and community members to attend the conference, host activities or workshops and facilitate presentations. Although ARASA has no funding for registration, accommodation or travel costs, a dedicated staff member will be able to assist with all registration and abstract, scholarship, Global Village and Youth Programme applications.