Developmental Core

The Midwest D-CFAR Developmental Core (DC) is guided by our vision to advance the HIV response through enlarging, strengthening, and diversifying the cadre of investigators addressing the HIV epidemic in St. Louis, the Missouri region, and beyond. The DC will establish a centralized mechanism to provide mentoring, training, and supplemental funding to a broad, diverse HIV investigator community. These resources will help advance their careers and foster cross-disciplinary and academic-community collaboration, thereby advancing HIV research per NIH OAR priorities.

To request a service from the Developmental Core, fill out a request form. You can also email us with questions at dev@midwestdcfar.org.

Core Team

  • Fred Ssewamala, PhD

    Fred Ssewamala, PhD

    DIRECTOR

    Washington University in St. Louis | Research: Training and developmental grants, social and economic development policy, HIV prevention, asset-based social programs, children and adolescent health

    Bio
  • Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, PhD

    Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, PhD

    CO-DIRECTOR

    Washington University in St. Louis | Research: Mentorship programs; Diversity, equity, and inclusion; clinical investigation, mobile health interventions, ART adherence

    Bio
  • Richard Grucza, PhD, MPE

    Richard Grucza, PhD, MPE

    CO-DIRECTOR

    Saint Louis University | Research: Interdisciplinary research, epidemiology, substance use, public policy, addictive behavior

    Bio
  • Kate Gershwin, MPH, CPH

    Kate Gershwin, MPH, CPH

    COMMUNITY LIAISON MANAGER

    Washington University in St. Louis | Research: Public health, global health equity, community engagement, interprofessional education, advocacy

    Bio

Core Activities

Pilot Awards

Supplemental support and funding will be provided to facilitate the growth of emerging HIV investigators conducting interdisciplinary research. These include:

  1. Investigator Pilot Awards for junior investigators seeking either K-series or their first R01 awards and senior investigators who have never been funded to work on HIV before who can contribute to interdisciplinary research

  2. Partner Pilot Awards to support funding proposals that are co-led by an academic and an external partner

  3. D-CFAR Enhancement Funds that supplement pilot funding obtained from other intramural sources when they address HIV to leverage institutional resources.

Learn more about these awards on our funding page.

Mentoring Program

The Midwest D-CFAR structured multicomponent mentoring program focuses systematic and personalized attention on emerging HIV investigators. The program nurtures a community of emerging investigators through events such as HIV works-in-progress (HIP) as well as non-supervisory career mentors who can complement existing scientific mentors. The program also leverages existing activities available in the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program.

HIV Proposal Bootcamp

HIV Proposal Bootcamp is an annual event in which individuals developing HIV-related grant proposals can receive rapid feedback and grant writing support from more experienced researchers through a series of six or more “lightning consultations” in a single day. 

HIV Works in Progress (HIP)

Junior investigators and anyone else new to HIV are invited to these bi-monthly meetings to workshop and refine their grant ideas and proposals and to share firsthand experiences with practicalities of grant applications (getting letters, timing of reviews, etc.).

Translational HIV Science Studios (THiS Studios)

THiS Studios are small gatherings of diverse scholars to discuss and address interdisciplinary problems related to HIV, convened by the Clinical Sciences Core and supported by the Developmental Core. 

Mentoring Symposium in HIV (MeSH)

This annual event aims to bring attention to mentorship and mentored research, with a mentorship expert speaker, award presentations to recognize excellent mentees and mentors, and an interactive workshop for building mentoring skills. 

Inter-CFAR HIV Mentoring the Mentors Training

The Developmental Core supports two investigators a year to attend the highly regarded "Mentoring-the-Mentors Workshop for HIV Researchers" held annually at a national CFAR meeting and led by Dr. Monica Gandhi from the University of California, San Francisco. 

Learn more about these events on our education and training page.