CIPRA Awards

U19 Multi-Project Research Grants

1. China's Integrated Program for Research on AIDS National Center for STD/AIDS Prevention and Control, Beijing, China Principal Investigator: Yiming Shao; The overall goal of the China CIPRA is to strengthen the existing HIV/AIDS research infrastructure in China and to build capacity to conduct multidisciplinary research on promising strategies for the prevention and treatment HIV/AIDS. To achieve these objectives the China team will conduct projects on: 1) The epidemiology of HIV transmission and disease in China, 2) Behavioral interventions for preventing transmission of HIV, 3) The immunology and virology of HIV infection, 4) Safety and efficacy of drugs for treatment of HIV, and 5) Development of vaccines for prevention of HIV/AIDS in China. To support the research projects, 4 cores will be established including: administration and training, data management and statistics, central laboratory, and primate research infrastructure. The epidemiologic and behavioral intervention studies will be conducted in communities at risk from HIV infection in Yunnan and Shanxi Provinces. Clinical and laboratory studies will be conducted in collaboration with the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Virology in Beijing, and Nankai University in Tianjin. The China team has engaged expert consultants on HIV/AIDS from the U.S. who will collaborate on the design and implementation of the research studies.
2. HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment in the Andes Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion (IMPACTA) Lima, Peru Principal Investigator: Jorge Sanchez; A three-year grant to the Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion (IMPACTA) will support research on two complementary projects. In collaboration with other Peruvian and U.S. research institutions, the scientists will collect data on the role of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) as a cofactor for HIV transmission and will identify strategies for delivering HSV-2 treatment and promoting HIV prevention techniques. One project will evaluate the effect of daily doses of the antiviral drug acyclovir on levels of HIV shed in genital secretions of men and women who are HIV-positive and who also have active HSV-2 lesions. This will help clinicians better understand how active genital herpes infection influences HIV infectivity.
3. Collaborative AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) University of Natal, Durban, South Africa Principal Investigator: Salim Abdool Karim; The objectives of this Collaborative AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) are to conduct research on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and to expand research capacity through development of infrastructure and staff training. The CAPRISA research projects will focus on: 1) studies on the acute phase of HIV-1 subtype C infection, and 2) a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of integrated tuberculosis and HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs provided through directly observed therapy. These studies should lead to the development of improved therapeutic and prevention interventions and fundamentally impact future research in these areas. To support these research studies the CAPRISA will establish cores for administration and training, biostatistics and data management, and a central laboratory for clinical research support and bioinformatics. The CAPRISA should contribute significantly to the knowledge of subtype C HIV infection, heterosexually acquired HIV, early immune responses to HIV infection, and knowledge of the development of resistance to HIV drugs. Institutions collaborating in CAPRISA include: the Universities of Cape Town and Western Cape, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, AngloGold's Aurum Health Research Unit and Columbia University in New York.
4. Safeguard the Household: Comprehensive AIDS Research University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa Principal Investigator: James McIntyre; The Program focuses on research for "safeguarding the household" from the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Participating institutions include: the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town, and the University of Stellenbosch. The Program entails five clinical research projects that will be conducted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in the Soweto Township of Johannesburg and Masiphumelele Township Clinic in Cape Town. The objectives of the studies are: 1) to evaluate the feasibility of delivering simple regimens of antiretroviral therapy at a primary care level by health care workers who are specifically trained for this task; 2) to test whether early antiretroviral treatment in infancy and treatment interruption will influence the outcome of HIV disease; 3) to study the impact of HAART on HIV morbidity and mortality and TB incidence in families in Masiphumelele; 4) to study the efficacy and immunogenicity of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in uninfected children and in HIV-infected children who are receiving or not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the time of vaccination; and 5) to develop and validate better and cheaper ways to diagnose and monitor HIV infection. To support these studies the Program will establish cores for program administration and management, data management and statistics, and a central laboratory. In addition a unique program of training will be implemented, that has the goal of developing research expertise, particularly in previously disadvantaged groups, in order to build and sustain an effective capacity into the future.
5. HIV Research Program in Thailand and Cambodia Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand Principal Investigator: Kiat Ruxrungtham; A five-year grant will evaluate HIV treatment strategies in HIV-infected children in Thailand and Cambodia. Researchers from the Thai Red Cross and the international HIVNAT (HIV-Netherlands/Australia/Thailand) group will compare immediate versus delayed antiretroviral therapy for pediatric HIV patients in sites in Thailand and Cambodia. Perinatally acquired HIV infection can result in severe impairment or death. Early treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs may prevent these severe consequences as well as developmental delays. Experts note however that these potential early gains must be measured against the possible loss of therapeutic options due to emergence of drug resistance as well as longer exposure to toxic side effects of the ARVs.

U01 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grants

1. A Cambodian Clinical Research Network for HIV & TB Cambodian Health Committee, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Principal Investigator: Sok Thim; A five-year grant has been awarded to conduct a clinical trial to determine the best time to begin antiretroviral treatment in people who are co-infected with HIV and the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. An important objective of the Cambodia CIPRA project is to develop clinical research centers in urban and rural settings that will serve as models of HIV and TB care for Cambodia. The long-term investment in infrastructure development supported by this project will allow the sites to participate in evaluations of novel therapies and vaccines for both HIV and TB as they are developed. The project is supported by a consortium of Cambodian and U.S. agencies and the French Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA (ANRS).
2. Haitian Program for Research and Training in HIV/AIDS GHESKIO Centers, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Principal Investigator: Jean Pape; This U01 award supports a randomized phase III clinical trial of early versus delayed antiretroviral therapy for people with pre-AIDS symptomatic HIV disease, as well as research training and capacity building. The GHESKIO Centers, directed by Dr. Jean Pape, is a non-governmental research and training organization working in close partnership with the Haitian Government on HIV/AIDS. Over the next five years, GHESKIO plans to become a regional HIV/AIDS center providing training and conducting research in collaboration with partners in Haiti and other countries in the Caribbean. The specific aims of this CIPRA are the following: Aim 1) To determine the optimal time to start antiretroviral therapy (ART), and Aim 2) To build on the existing capacity of the GHESKIO Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Capacity building will focus on the following areas: a) Administration, including the development of an advisory council, increasing ethics capacity, strengthening grants management, and strengthening training; b) Clinical investigation; c) Data management and analysis; d) Laboratory capacity, including HIV virology and immunology. Young Haitian researchers will receive advanced training and mentorship from senior U.S. investigators, with the goal that they become future project leaders.
3. Anti-HIV Therapy in Senegal, West Africa Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal Principal Investigator: Souleymane Mboup; This CIPRA U01 in Senegal will begin with a study of HAART in HIV-1 infected individuals that compares the efficacy of two regimens. The Principal Investigator, Souleymane Mboup, Ph.D., will also conduct at the same time a study of HAART in HIV-2 and dually infected individuals. A larger study of HAART will follow. This grant will also develop research infrastructure and treatment for HIV patients, as well as provide training for larger scale ARV programs in Senegal and West Africa.

Completed CIPRA Awards

R03 Planning and Organizational Grants

1. Argentinean Integrated Program for HIV/AIDS Research Argentinean National Ref Ctr AID, Buenos Aires, Argentina Principal Investigator: Eduardo Salomon; Dr. Salomon and colleagues will use this grant to gather a multidisciplinary team of in-country researchers to prepare a U01 CIPRA grant application to support comprehensive research to develop practical, affordable and acceptable methods to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. Activities to be supported with this grant include: (1) Building partnerships with public health authorities and communities from different regions of Argentina to define research priorities; (2) Establish international collaborations; (3) Establish steering and advisory committees to provide research direction and advice; (4) Identify training needs for research and administrative staff; (5) Establish administrative capacity to support multidisciplinary research; and (6) Preparation of the comprehensive grant application including writing of research protocols to be conducted.
2. Southern Brazilian AIDS Research Development Initiative University of Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Brazil Principal Investigator: Ricardo De Souza; The South Brazilian AIDS Research Development Initiative will plan a regional HIV/AIDS research center that can addresses regional HIV/AIDS research needs including the improvement of the research infrastructure, (such as clinical sites, diagnostic laboratories and administrative structures), and the development of an HIV/AIDS research agenda in collaboration with the participating institutions.
3. Evidence-based Interventions for HIV/AIDS At-risk Groups Centro de Estudos Luis Guedes, Porto Alegre, Brazil Principal Investigator: Flavio Pechansky; This is a planning grant to provide initial support for a larger CIPRA research program in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The planning grant has as its general goal to develop a comprehensive, multi-professional program to study the epidemiology, clinical diagnosis, prevention and clinical management of HIV infection in at-risk individuals such as drug users and their sexual partners, women, and mentally-ill patients. This research grant will support efforts to develop a comprehensive agenda for covering new aspects of the HIV epidemic at local and regional levels in collaboration with international research centers. The outcome of this project will be an integrated group of research goals that are feasible and contemporary to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
4. Comprehensive Research Agenda for Prevention/Treatment of HIV Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Principal Investigador: Mariza Morgado; This grant seeks to develop a comprehensive research program by forming a consortium of Brazilian researchers from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul. The consortium will develop a research agenda that will focus on the distribution of HIV/AIDS among women in these regions including: the incidence and distribution of the prevailing HIV sub-types, the transmission patterns of HIV and other STDs, and the HIV/AIDS disease characteristics in women.
5. A Cambodian Clinical Research Network for HIV and TB Cambodian Health Committee, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Principal Investigator: Sok Thim; This grant will plan a research agenda to address the need for practicable, effective, and affordable means for prevention and treatment of HIV and TB. The long-term goals of the Cambodian Clinical Research Network for HIV and TB project will include: 1) the creation of a core clinical and research infrastructure for HIV/TB patient access in rural and urban settings, 2) work with government agencies in HIV/TB control and treatment, and 3) the establishment of a research plan for HIV/TB for evaluating HIV vaccines and therapeutics and bringing new insight into these diseases. The ultimate goal is a comprehensive, integrated program for HIV and TB prevention, therapy, and research.
6. An Integrated HIV/AIDS Research Program in the Congo Congo National Laboratory of Public Health, Brazzaville, Congo Principal Investigator: Blaise Bikandou; The Integrated HIV/AIDS Research Program in the Congo will coordinate with the existing effort in HIV research and public health in Congo-Brazzaville to 1) plan and implement research on development of effective HIV counseling and testing programs with a focus on young women; 2) assess the safety of blood transfusion program; and 3) design and evaluate appropriate programs for prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients. Research will focus on the surveillance of HIV-1 subtype diversity, including the identification of new divergent HIV/SIV strains in Congo, and the establishment of research core facilities that can adopt advanced immunology and virology assays.
7. Center for Comprehensive Care of HIV/AIDS in Puerto Plata Centro de Promocion Solidaridad Humana (CEPROSH), Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Principal Investigator: Bayardo Gomez; The future objective being planned and developed in this award is a clinical research program that will focus on studies to identify practicable, effective, and affordable means for HIV treatment and prevention. Long-range goals include studies on interrupting maternal-fetal transmission, antiretroviral therapy, and opportunistic infection prophylaxis. The major aims of this CIPRA grant are: 1) to plan a comprehensive HIV clinical research program in Puerto Plata, 2) to identify research priorities, and 3) to develop expertise to conduct clinical trials and further HIV/AIDS research.
8. Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention in Egypt Egyptian Ministry of Health/Population, Cairo, Egypt Principal Investigator: Mostafa Mohamed; This grant seeks to develop a comprehensive research program by forming a consortium of Brazilian researchers from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul. The consortium will develop a research agenda that will focus on the distribution of HIV/AIDS among women in these regions including: the incidence and distribution of the prevailing HIV sub-types, the transmission patterns of HIV and other STDs, and the HIV/AIDS disease characteristics in women.
9. Coordinated HIV, HCV and STD Research Program in Georgia AIDS Control and Clinical Immunology Research Centre (IDACIRC), Tbilisi, Georgia Principal Investigator: Tengiz Tsertsvadze; This planning grant will provide initial start-up support for a larger CIPRA-supported research program in the Republic of Georgia. The objective of the planning grant to improve the knowledge of the HIV epidemic in the Republic of Georgia through (1) the design of appropriate prevention interventions, (2) improving patient care with the implementation of resistance testing, (3) characterizing host and viral factors associated with disease progression, (4) studying HIV/hepatitis C co-infection, the relationship between HIV and tuberculosis infections, and the impact of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV in patients in the Republic of Georgia
10. Control for HIV Infection Among Vulnerable Populations in India Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, India Principal Investigator: Nirmal Ganguly; This project will organize a network of governmental and non-governmental institutions in the field of HIV/AIDS with the objective of developing a Multi-Project research program. The ICMR will form the core of this network, and coordinate a comprehensive research agenda. The long-range goal the network is to develop and strengthen effective intervention strategies and cost-effective treatment options for those infected with HIV/AIDS.
11. Establishing HIV/AIDS Research in Western Kenya Moi University College of Health Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya Principal Investigator: Lameck Diero; The goal of this R03 Planning and Organization Grant is to establish the framework and assist Dr. Diero of Moi University in planning for the design, conduct and analysis of research projects on HIV/AIDS and related conditions. The investigators hope to eventually translate research findings into clinical practice in Kenya and other countries with limited resources. Specifically, this grant will support (1) the establishment of advisory committees to assist in developing a research agenda for future applications and in organizing cores for administration, clinical research, behavioral science, laboratories, and data management; (2) prioritization of HIV/AIDS prevention and care issues; and (3) development of an administrative structure to manage budget, regulatory functions, and training workshops.
12. A Multi-faceted Study of HIV in Malaysia University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Principal Investigator: Adeeba Kamarulzaman; The overall aim of the CIPRA project is to document the Malaysian epidemic with respect to infection among drug users in order to provide a base for advocacy and policy development. Research activities will include epidemiological and socio-behavioral research, an assessment of disease burden in relation to HIV and related infections in injection drug users, as well as research into issues related to access to treatment, care and support in this patient group. Research into culturally appropriate methods for preventing HIV in drug users, including treatment for drug abuse and provision of sterile injecting equipment, will be an important component of this project.
13. Preventing and Caring for AIDS National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico Principal Investigator: Jaime Sepulveda-Amor; The long-term goal of this project is to form network of public health, clinical, and laboratory science professionals to address HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment research needs in Mexico. The Program will involve the National AIDS Program, the National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition, and other institutions in Mexico, as well as American institutions. The immediate objectives are the planning of a research agenda and assessing the infrastructures needs for the Program.
14. AIDS Control Within A Research Endeavor - A.W.A.R.E. Universidade Catolica de Mozambique, Beira, Mozambique Principal Investigator: Aurelio da cruz Gomes; Mozambique is a southern African country with a population of 19 million, who have a life expectancy of 36 years and an estimated AIDS prevalence of 16 percent. This CIPRA planning grant to be awarded to the Universidade Catolica de Mocambique addresses the explosion of HIV infections in the rural underserved central region of the country. The two-year planning grant will utilize 16 Catholic missions in the central and northern rural regions as a base for investigation, education, prevention, and treatment, and to develop comprehensive plans for a five-year program. This award has four primary goals: 1) to plan the overall project that will include establishing plans for laboratory support and transport and identification and training of key investigators in Mozambique, 2) to expand use of a geographic information system (GIS) to collate HIV epidemiological, economic, and geographic data, 3) to plan for HIV prevalence studies (subtypes and clades) and behavior and attitudes in central Mozambique, and 4) to prepare a U01 application. The use of GIS in AIDS studies in Africa is unique, and could be a model for other poor rural settings in Africa and elsewhere.
15. HIV Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment in the Andes Asociacion Civil Impacta Salud y Educacion, Lima, Peru Principal Investigador: Jorge Sanchez; The aim of the project is to develop a regional capacity for HIV prevention and vaccine research in the Peruvian Andes. The investigators plan to develop a Multi-Project program that will focus on: 1) interaction of other sexually transmitted diseases and HIV; 2) resistance to anti-HIV drugs; effectiveness of preventive behavioral interventions for men who have sex with men; 3) transmission from high to lower-risk populations; 4) assessment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in HIV-infected people; 3) evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for HIV infection; and 5) prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
16. Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in Adults and Children Tomsk Regional Center for AIDS and other Infectious Diseases Tomsk, Russia Principal Investigator: Alexander Chernov; This two-year planning and organizational grant will allow the Tomsk Regional Center for AIDS and Other Infectious Diseases to develop a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment research agenda relevant to its growing HIV patient population. The driving force behind epidemics across the Eastern European region is injection drug use - an abuse that has spread explosively in the years of turbulent change since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
17. HIV/AIDS and Opportunistic Infections in IDU Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation Principal Investigator: Edwin Zvartau; The primary focus of this project is epidemiological research and development of a prevention and treatment program for HIV/AIDS in intravenous drug users, many of whom also have chronic viral hepatitis. Eastern Europe, and the Russian Federation in particular, are experiencing the fastest growing infection rate of HIV in the world. In St. Petersburg, Russia (which had an HIV infection incidence of 114 cases per 100,000 people in 2000), the spread of HIV/AIDS occurs primarily through intravenous drug use.
18. HIV Clinical Trials Site Planning in Northern Tanzania Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, Moshi, Tanzania Principal Investigator: John Shao; The goal of this project is to develop infrastructure to evaluate appropriate uses of antiretroviral therapy against HIV in Tanzania. Specifically the overall project aims to: 1) define characteristics of target populations for performing antiretroviral therapy trials, 2) create an HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention consortium in the Kilimanjaro region, and 3) train Tanzanian investigators in clinical trial design and monitoring. The Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre will also collaborate with local institutions such as the Kibongoto National Tuberculosis Hospital, as well as outside institutions such as Duke University.
19. HIV/AIDS Research and Training in Northern Thailand Univerisity of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand Principal Investigator: Thira Sirisanthana; The long-term goals of this CIPRA project are the enhancement of research infrastructure and the capacity to conduct research projects relevant to the AIDS epidemic situation in Northern Thailand. This planning phase award will concentrate on developing the necessary research support infrastructure for future projects in molecular epidemiology, care of opportunistic infections in an environment of antiretroviral drug availability, delivery and management of antiretroviral therapy in children, and the design of behavioral and vaccine approaches for HIV prevention.
20. HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Research in Trinidad and Tobago Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain, Trinidad Principal Investigator: Courtney Bartholomew; This grant is aimed at developing a CIPRA research program that is responsive to the particular needs of the epidemic in Trinidad and Tobago, and that could potentially serve as a model for other Caribbean countries with similar epidemiologic and socio-economic features. Assessment for site development, infrastructure needs, and critical clinical and laboratory capacity needed to perform clinical trials on prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS will be included.
21. HIV/AIDS Research Center in HoChi Minh City, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City AIDS Committee, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Principal Investigator: Le Giang; Utilizing its ties with research, social, and political institutions, the Ho Chi Minh City AIDS Committee will develop a comprehensive research agenda to address the rapidly expanding HIV epidemic in Vietnam, particularly in intravenous drug users and commercial sex workers. The short-term objectives are to develop core administration and planning for an AIDS Research Center, and to define long-term research and prevention goals for this center. The long term objectives are to build capacities for prevention research including diagnosis of HIV and opportunistic infections, monitoring HIV/AIDS disease transmission, and treatment of HIV/AIDS and opportunistic infections.
22. Planning for Randomized Controlled Trials of Antiretroviral Therapy in Lusaka, Zambia Center for AIDS Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia Principal Investigator: Isaac Zulu; The objective of this CIPRA is to plan and prepare for randomized controlled trials of ART in Lusaka, Zambia. Zambia has one of the highest rates of HIV seroprevalence in Africa. Due to recent government and drug company initiatives to reduce costs, it is expected that antiretroviral drugs will soon become more available. The initial stage of the project will focus on planning of appropriate strategies for use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Zambia, while working on the development of infrastructure and facilities for a research program to evaluate suitable ART strategies for Zambia.
23. HIV Vaccine Trial Site Development for Zambia Tropical Diseases Research Center, Ndola, Zambia Principal Investigator: Rosemary Musonda; The goal of this CIPRA award is to develop infrastructure and to plan a multidisciplinary HIV prevention research program in Ndola, Zambia. Short-term goals include the development of research plans to assess prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in potential clinical site locations; to train Zambian research personnel in clinical research procedures, to characterize HIV strains circulating in Zambia, and to assess the needs for HIV vaccine trials
24. ARV Therapy for MCTH Prevention and Treatment in Zimbabwe University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe Principal Investigator: Lynn Zijenah; The overall aim of this project is to plan the development of regional capacity for research in HIV prevention and therapeutics. The investigators plan to submit a subsequent grant application that will include projects to focus on several aspects of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MCTH), including developing and testing strategies for prevention of such transmission and for monitoring, evaluating, and improving drug treatment strategies for HIV infection. The proposed research program will build upon the investigators' demonstrated capacity to conduct laboratory research and clinical trials.

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