Education and Training

One of our goals at the Midwest D-CFAR is to grow the HIV investigator workforce. To help advance and retain HIV early-stage investigators, we provide a mentoring program that includes an offer of career mentors (to complement the scientific mentorship they already have) as well as opportunities to train our mentors themselves to elevate the quality of mentoring. Our developmental programming aims to hone ideas into strong research proposals.

The D-CFAR also provides pilot awards to grow ideas generated by developmental programming and enable initial data collection and preparation for external grant submissions. 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.

Consult our calendar to see when these events are scheduled. For more information on our training programs, request a consultation with our Developmental Core.

The D-CFAR offers programming to help guide the advancement of research proposals for both D-CFAR pilot funding as well as external submissions. 

Translational HIV Science 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. These studios allow researchers to workshop formative ideas, assisted by structured methods for collaboration to foster an environment where interdisciplinary perspectives converge, resulting in groundbreaking concepts for HIV research. 

Junior investigators and anyone else new to HIV can attend bi-monthly HIV Works in Progress (HIP) meetings to workshop and refine their grant ideas and proposals and to share firsthand experiences with practicalities of grant applications. Experts with knowledge in basic, clinical, and implementation sciences will offer structured and systematic guidance through the grant writing process to strengthen the quality of the finished product. 

Our annual HIV Proposal Bootcamp allows individuals developing HIV-related grant proposals to receive rapid feedback and grant writing support from more experienced researchers through a series of six or more “lightning consultations” in a single day. Learn more about this event here.

Midwest D-CFAR members are also eligible to take advantage of NIH Mock Study Sections and Scientific Editing Services offered by the ICTS. 

Mentorship

Career Mentors

Both experience and well-established data suggest that mentoring is critical for success in academia. While most junior investigators and trainees have scientific mentors, few in our institution have career mentors who act outside the scientific chain of command. Career mentors are positioned to help mentees with their scientific and professional growth. The D-CFAR offers career mentors to early-stage investigators through our Developmental Core. 

Mentorship Training

The Midwest D-CFAR offers mentorship training programs for investigators who wish to strengthen their mentorship and coaching skills. The Developmental Core additionally sponsors two D-CFAR members per year to attend the highly regarded Mentoring-the-Mentors Workshop for HIV Researchers led by the University of California, San Francisco CFAR and held every fall.

Our Mentoring Symposium in HIV (MeSH) annual event, occurring in the fall, aims to bring attention to mentorship and mentored research. This event is organized by the D-CFAR in collaboration with the Provost's Office initiative on mentoring and the ICTS. It includes: 

  • A keynote lecture delivered by an invited prominent mentorship expert. 

  • Awards to recognize and reward excellent mentees. 

  • A Mentorship Excellence Award for an exceptional mentor. 

  • A half-day mentor training seminar led by focused on a range of key topics (e.g., mentor expectations, effective communication) 

Special Opportunity for Harris Stowe State University (HSSU) Students

The Midwest D-CFAR has an internship pipeline for HSSU students with the City of St. Louis Department of Health.

Interns are paid to gain hands-on experience managing real-world public health challenges. Any HSSU student interested in HIV is eligible to apply. More details on this coming soon!