Despite glaring health and HIV/AIDS-disparities among American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN), Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Island Islanders (NHPI), there is a paucity of culturally grounded research addressing their HIV-related biomedical and behavioral health concerns. A strong network of highly trained and productive Indigenous scholars dedicated to research that is culturally grounded would contribute to ameliorating HIV-related disparities among Indigenous populations. This competitive renewal application, in response to PAR-12-273, NIMH Research Education Mentoring Programs for HIV/AIDS Researchers is designed to develop the Indigenous HIV/AIDS Research Training Program-Lauhoe (IHART2) to develop a cadre of culturally grounded Native scholars capable of serving as PIs on extramurally funded HIV/AIDS- related prevention and disparities studies with Indigenous populations. The program is based on the success of the first 5 years of the Indigenous HIV/AIDS Research Training (IHART) R25 program (under PAR-06-494), the only Native-specific HIV/AIDS research training and mentorship program in the US. IHART2 extends the reach of the original IHART program from a primary focus on indigenous North Americans (e.g., AIAN and Native Latinos), to including NHPI (e.g., Native Hawaiian, Samoans). Additionally, where IHART focused on mid-career scientists, IHART2 now targets postdoctoral and early-career scholars. Building upon IHART success, IHART2 deepens the 360 degree co-mentorship approach with flexibility for program Fellows and Mentors to co-identify HIV training, career development, and cultural needs of the Fellow. IHART2 will be housed at the university-wide interdisciplinary funded Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI; iwri.org) National Center of Excellence (NIMHD; P60 MD006909-02) at the University of Washington. IWRI is directed and staffed almost entirely by AIAN, with three of the leading federally funded AIAN HIV researchers at the helm. IWRI has the infrastructure and environment necessary to promote culturally grounded Indigenous HIV prevention and disparities science training in a manner that is not currently covered by any existing R25s. To achieve the overall objectives of IHART2, we will select 15 Fellows who will undergo a structured 24-month intensive year-round mentorship program that includes: (a) annual research institutes and writing retreats (writing retreat; Spring Research Roundtable; Summer Research Institute; grant writing workshop,); (b) other training (webinars; 4 quarterly seminars; on-site mentor shadowing; and support for attendance to HIV/AIDS training institutes; (c) technical assistance (peer review for grant submission; statistical, editorial, and technical assistance for grant applications and manuscripts for publication); (d) seed funding ($20,000 to conduct pilot studies, travel to conferences, or to buy out time); and (e) network development (via mentor networks and website). By the end of the 24 month program, Fellows will have implemented a pilot study, published HIV/AIDS articles; presented at HIV-related conferences; and developed a NIH HIV-related grant proposal.
Despite glaring health and HIV/AIDS-disparities among American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN), Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Island Islanders (NHPI), there is a paucity of culturally grounded research addressing their HIV-related behavioral health concerns. A strong network of highly trained and productive Indigenous scholars dedicated to HIV/AIDS disparities and prevention research that is culturally grounded would contribute to ameliorating HIV-related disparities among Indigenous populations.
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