During the past budget period, the Birmingham CFAR has played a major role in the development of new programmatic areas both in basic and clinical AIDS research at UAB. This was accomplished by fostering in- house AIDS research through a competitive Developmental Grant Program and by recruitment of high caliber AIDS scientists from other institutions. Through these efforts, a considerable number of new research programs was initiated, the great majority of which have gone on to become competitive at a national level. Developmental Grant Program: Developmental monies ($416,740) were used to competitively fund 11 New Investigators and 8 Pilot Projects. These were selected from a total of 69 applications submitted to the CFAR Developmental Grant Program. All applications were prepared according to NIH guidelines, reviewed by an internal review committee, and funded solely based on scientific merit. Of the 19 competitive applications, 16 were subsequently submitted to national funding agencies, and 8 received extramural funding with total Direct Costs exceeding $5.5 million (3 are still pending review). Of the 50 non-funded proposals, 25 were submitted to national funding agencies, and six of these received extramural funds exceeding $1.6 million. The Developmental grant program has thus been extremely successful in facilitating new as well as nationally competitive research efforts. Recruitment: Developmental monies ($102,163) were used to assist in the recruitment of Dr. Patricia Fultz (HIV/SIV vaccine development and animal models) from Emory University and Dr. Victoria Johnson recruitment of Dr. Phillip Smith (HIV infection of the mucosa) from NIH, and Dr. Edward Hood (sexually transmitted diseases) from Johns Hopkins University, and Drs. Laura Leviton and Ralph DiClemente (HIV the Center assisted in the recruitment of three junior faculty, Drs. Mark Mulligan, John Kappes and Pauline Jolly (minority investigator). Each of these individuals greatly enhanced the scope and capabilities of the existing research programs. To continue these developmental efforts, funds are requested for two New Investigator Awards at the level of $25,000 per year as will as two Pilot Project awards at a level of $20,000 per year. These applications will be solicited, reviewed and funded as in the past. In addition, $10,000 per year are requested to support New Evolving Research Opportunities. These monies will fund AIDS projects of high significance that require immediate attention and a speedy resolution (funding decisions will be made by the CFAR Executive Committee). Finally, recruitment monies in the amount of $30,000 (years 02 through 05) are requested to continue to attract outstanding outside investigators to the UAB AIDS effort.
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