HIV Center Pilot Studies Program

Date:

Proposals for applications from junior investigators and fellows will be accepted three times each year, with submission dates generally in February, June, and October. A request for proposals package will be distributed one to two months in advance of each submission date.

Coordinated by:

Patricia Warne

Contact person for
 more information:

Patricia Warne

The Pilot Studies Program supports small exploratory studies that address the HIV Center's priority areas of research, which are outlined in the Research Plan from our renewal application.  Proposed studies are expected to (1) lead to larger projects that will be appropriate for independent funding from a government institute or private foundation and (2)  result in at least one peer-reviewed publication to be submitted within six months of the end of the project funding period.

In general, proposals may be submitted only by junior investigators (i.e., those through the level of Assistant Professor who have never been awarded an R01 or equivalent grant) or by more senior investigators who wish to explore a new area of research.  Applicants must be affiliated with the HIV Center.

Since it has been explicitly stipulated by NIMH that our pilot grant-supported studies should result in new grant applications at the level of at least R03, if not K awards and R01s, all applicants should hold doctoral degrees, as only they will be eligible to write R01 grants to NIH.  In addition, personnel currently supported as an employee on an existing grant cannot use this salaried time to conduct a pilot study unrelated to the employing grant.  It would be possible for an employee to conduct a pilot study that is clearly related to the employing grant on his or her salaried time if, and only if, the employee's supervisor agrees in writing.

Recent Pilot Grant Awardees

2007

Mark Bradley, M.D.; Depression Symptoms and Antiretroviral Adherence in HIV-Positive Patients
Mary A. Cavaleri, Ph.D., LCSW; The Feasibility and Impact of the Bridge Program upon Accessing HIV Care
Katherine Elkington, Ph.D.; Measuring Mental Illness Stigma: Understanding HIV Risk in Youth with MI
Ana Ventuneac, M.A.; Rapid HIV Home Tests and Sexual Decision-Making among HIV-Negative MSM

2006

Shari Dworkin, Ph.D.: Impact of Threats to Masculinity on Sexual Behavior
Joanne E. Mantell, Ph.D.: HIV Risk among Migrant Entertainment Industry Workers in Eastern China
Robert H. Remien, Ph.D., and Alan Berkman, M.D.: Developing an HIV Adherence and Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention in the DR

2005

Sharlene Beckford, Ph.D.: The Partnerships and Sexual Behaviors of Caribbean Immigrant Men
Stephanie Marhefka, Ph.D.: Sexual Self-Concepts of Adolescent Girls Living with Perinatal HIV
Theo Sandfort, Ph.D.: Exploring Pathways to Adult Sexual Adjustment: Secondary Data Analysis

2004

Brian M. Dodge, Ph.D.: HIV Risk and Prevention Among High Risk MSMW
Peter Lin, Ph.D.: Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on HIV-Related Stress
Rogério Pinto, Ph.D.: Studying Academic-CBO HIV Research Collaboration Processes

2003

Shari Dworkin, Ph.D.: Distribution of Resources and Gendered Power
Rita Melendez, Ph.D.: Male to Female Transgenders and HIV Risk
Michael Stirratt, Ph.D.: Serosorting Practices and Risk Behavior among MSM