The following supplemental information is offered to assist investigators seeking to respond to Request for Applications (RFA) HD-00-006, Women's HIV Pathogenesis Program. Guidelines for the preparation of applications in response to this RFA are available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/funding/dsr_p01_guide.htm.
The Women's HIV Pathogenesis Program will be established to address gender-specific research on HIV pathogenesis and women. The purpose of this Program is to increase our understanding of the causal relationships between HIV pathogenesis and factors unique to women, such as their reproductive physiology. Studies conducted within the program projects will focus on identification of gender-specific biological factors that could impact on HIV transmission, disease acquisition and manifestation in women. Applications should be multidisciplinary in scope and apply to a variety of female populations, including substance abusers, perimenopausal women, and lesbian women.
The program projects will include a minimum of three interrelated research projects as well as the following supporting components: (1) a Clinical Core, consisting of infectious disease specialists, obstetrician/gynecologists, endocrinologists, epidemiologists, behavioral and social scientists, and/or other clinical researchers capable of recruiting, retaining and studying HIV-infected women in complex protocols that address critical HIV pathogenesis research questions; (2) a Laboratory Core, composed of virologists, immunologists, pharmacologists, geneticists, pathologists, and/or other laboratory scientists with experience in basic science and the complex methodologies necessary to address questions of HIV pathogenesis; and (3) an Administrative Core composed of statisticians, programmers, and technical specialists, responsible for assisting in protocol implementation, monitoring, training, data management and analysis, and operational activities such as protocol development. Each application must include all components; however, one or more of the components may be located at collaborating institutions.
In addition to the NICHD, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have indicated their interest in co-sponsoring specific projects of interest to their respective Institutes.
This site will be updated with responses to the most frequently asked questions regarding this RFA.