This renewal of the HIV Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars (REIDS) at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) at Yale University addresses the documented challenges and barriers to the advancement of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority scholars in the field of HIV/AIDS research. Our program seeks to provide education and mentorship on the conduct of community-based implementation science to reduce HIV inequities in communities of color, where the burden of HIV is greatest. Five cohorts of four Scholars, each at the advanced postdoctoral or junior faculty level from universities throughout the United States, will be recruited and retained (total N=20). Recognizing the importance of quality mentorship and access to practical experience in setting the trajectory for productivity and success of new investigators, and especially those with underrepresented racial and ethnic minority identities, the REIDS program consists of: (1) a 4-week intensive face to face Summer Institute for two summers on community-based implementation science; (2) an online monthly seminar during the academic year focusing on feedback on ongoing research, professional development, and grant writing; (3) the conduct of a $20,000 pilot project on HIV community-based implementation science; (4) a structured and intensive Mentorship program that addresses structural and individual barriers to advancement for racial and ethnic minority Scholars that includes mentorship from leading researchers in HIV prevention and implementation science (Primary and Secondary Mentors) and mentorship from a former REIDS Scholar (Peer Mentors); (5) access to the REIDS Online Community, a virtual space for Scholars and REIDS alumni to provide support, share resources, and engage in collaborations. Innovative aspects of the program include a focus on community-based implementation science, access to unprecedented resources through CIRA, a team mentoring approach that includes Peer Mentoring from REIDS alumni, active engagement of Scholars in the development of the REIDS Program and curriculum through a Scholar Advisory Board, and the building of a virtual space that will allow for resource sharing and collaborations of Scholars and Alumni after the conclusion of the formal training period. The REIDS Program utilizes a curriculum and structure grounded in social justice principles to decrease HIV inequities in communities of color and academic inequities for racial and ethnic minority scholars.
The proposal addresses two key public health issues; the spiraling increase spread of HIV/AIDS within communities of color and the dearth of racial and minority researcher conducting HIV/AIDS research. Through the recruitment and intensive training and mentorship of racial and ethnic minority researchers in the area of HIV/AIDS and implementation science, the disparate HIV/AIDS related prevention, access, and treatment within communities of color has the potential to be addressed.
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