Developmental Core (Core B) The goal of the Emory CFAR Developmental Core, working in concert with the Administrative Core, is to provide support to promising junior faculty as they transit the arc from unfunded mentee, to NIH-funded independent AIDS investigator, to HIV research mentor in his/her own right. In order to accomplish this goal, the Developmental Core focuses scientific attention on the CFAR Administrative Core's research priorities and implements a key specific aim of the CFAR at Emory: to develop the next generation of HIV researchers and scientific leaders at Emory University. Since the last CFAR renewal, Developmental Core mentees have been exceptionally successful in competing for NIH career development awards, with 13 awards received since 2013. In addition, the Developmental Core seed grants awarded by the Emory CFAR that are >2 years post completion (n=45) have generated 51 NIH awards to date, including 21 NIH R01s, plus 17 non-NIH awards. The CFAR's NIH return on investment for the Core's seed grant program is ~26 fold. In the next project period, the Developmental Core proposes a comprehensive Platform of Assistance and Training in HIV Research (PATH) that provides a broad, integrated program of funding and mentoring support. PATH comprises an integrated set of services across the `idea to independence and beyond' continuum that includes four components. Research funding is provided through a menu of mechanisms that are tailored to address a diverse array of investigator needs ranging from overcoming discrete, small scale, time-critical research challenges to supporting investigator initiated projects that generate preliminary data for inclusion in NIH grant applications. Proposal support activities build skills in the foundational work of conceptualizing, developing, writing, submitting, reviewing, and responding to peer-review application critiques; all with the ultimate goal of increasing the strength of fundable NIH applications in HIV research. Mentoring assistance activities address the field from multiple perspectives including mentoring administration, relationship formation, implementation, and training for young investigators who wish to make the mentee to mentor transition. Professional development activities help CFAR investigators cultivate new or enhanced expertise in research methods, science writing, NIH-style research proposal reviewing, and science communication. To address these goals and ensure the Core's continued productivity, the Emory CFAR Leadership will provide ~$173K in institutional commitment (committed cost share) over and above the NIH dollars designated for the core. As a Tier 2 funding priority that highlights the CFAR leadership's commitment to developing the next generation of HIV researchers, the Developmental Core has also been allocated new NIH resources to support the Core's NIH K-R transition activities for young investigators.
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