The Annual Course on Principles of STD and HIV Research was first held in 1993 to provide an intensive overview of skills needed to pursue a research career in the field of STD/HIV. Since then, over 600 trainees, many of whom were women or racial/ethnic minorities, have attended. The importance of cross-disciplinary STD/HIV research has become essential in designing studies and in obtaining funding. Establishing familiarity with research perspectives outside one's own discipline provides young investigators with tools for continued interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, and for maintaining a broad scope of investigative possibilities. This course offers a unique opportunity for introductory training in behavioral, clinical, epidemiologic, statistical and pathogenesis research by providing a practically oriented overview of language and skills common to these broad disciplines. Course duration is limited to two weeks to encourage individuals who are establishing active research careers and allow those who reside outside of the local area to attend. Course objectives are to: 1) Introduce young investigators to critical research areas and questions in the field of STD/HIV; 2) Expose investigators to research techniques and tools needed to conduct scientifically and ethically sound studies, including study design, experimental approach, development of instruments for data collection, human subjects considerations, and data analysis; 3) Introduce trainees to fundamentals of different disciplines involved in STD/HIV research in order to foster research collaborations; and 4) Discuss strategies for successfully competing for research funds and publishing one's work. The course integrates six tracks: 1) Essentials of STD/HIV interdisciplinary research; 2) Clinical and epidemiologic aspects of infections; 3) Pathogenesis of specific infections; 4) Methodology of behavioral research; 5) Strategies for successful and ethical research; and 6) Critical topics in biostatistical analysis. The course proceedings are disseminated in a two-volume reference binder containing speakers' slides and key references. In past years, the course derived financial and faculty support primarily from the NIH STD Cooperative Research Centers (CRC). Since 1998, the CRCs have each annually contributed in the form of travel support for faculty or students. Because the STD CRCs, now designated the Sexually Transmitted Infections and Topical Microbicides Cooperative Research Centers (STI TM CRCs), are currently up for competitive renewal, funding for the 2004 course will not be available through that mechanism. For this reason, the current proposal seeks to obtain equivalent funding through the R13 mechanism.
