February 26, 2007

• A. CIRA SPONSORED AIDS SEMINARS
• B. CIRA MEETINGS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
• C. OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

A. CIRA SPONSORED AIDS SEMINARS

1. THIS WEEK! Research in Progress Seminar Series
   03/02/07, 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
   Title: "The Role of Community Organizing in HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Injection Drug Users in Saint-Petersburg, Russia"
   Speaker(s): Roman Skochilov, Ph.D., International Trainee
   Sponsor(s): Office of International Training (OIT)
   Location: OIT Conference Room, Ste # 3D, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
   
2. YACS @ CIRA Seminar Series
   03/08/07, 12:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. (Lunch included)
   Title: "Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Risk for HIV: Findings from Studies with Heterosexual Women, Men and Youth"
   Speaker(s): Anita Raj, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health
   Sponsor(s): CIRA and the Institution for Social and Policy Studies
   Location: CIRA, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
   Contact: Please RSVP to elizabeth.eocaci@yale.edu. For more information or directions, please call 764-4333, email leif.mitchell@yale.edu or visit the YACS@CIRA Web site: http://cira.med.yale.edu/events/yacs.html
3. NEW! Research in Progress Seminar Series
   03/09/07, 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
   Title: TBA
   Speaker(s): Maxim Ostapenko, LLB, International Trainee
   Sponsor(s): Office of International Training (OIT)
   Location: OIT Conference Room, Ste # 3D, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
   

B. CIRA MEETINGS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. CANCELLED! Peer Review
   02/26/07, 2:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
   Location: OIT Conf. Rm., Ste # 3D, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
   NOTE: Materials for peer review must be submitted one week in advance of the peer review meeting. If you would like to have a manuscript reviewed, please contact Debra Tompkins (debra.tompkins@yale.edu). If you would like to have a proposal reviewed as part of the process of affiliating your research project with CIRA, please contact Kim Blankenship (kim.blankenship@yale.edu). We encourage you to have your proposal reviewed early in its development. The purpose of peer review is to enhance the quality of proposals and publications from CIRA scientists by allowing them to benefit from the Center’s expertise. The spirit of CIRA's peer review program is one of collegiality and respect; it is meant to be constructive rather than evaluative. Investigators use the feedback they receive as they see fit.
2. CANCELLED! Law, Policy and Ethics (LPE) Core Meeting
   03/02/07, 11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 1B, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
3. Executive Committee Meeting
   03/08/07, 10:30 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 1B, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
4. Interdisciplinary Research Methods (IRM) Core Meeting
   03/09/07, 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 1B, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
5. NEW! Peer Review
   03/13/07, 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
   Location: CIRA Conf. Rm., Ste # 1B, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
   NOTE: Materials for peer review must be submitted one week in advance of the peer review meeting. If you would like to have a manuscript reviewed, please contact Debra Tompkins (debra.tompkins@yale.edu). If you would like to have a proposal reviewed as part of the process of affiliating your research project with CIRA, please contact Kim Blankenship (kim.blankenship@yale.edu). We encourage you to have your proposal reviewed early in its development. The purpose of peer review is to enhance the quality of proposals and publications from CIRA scientists by allowing them to benefit from the Center’s expertise. The spirit of CIRA's peer review program is one of collegiality and respect; it is meant to be constructive rather than evaluative. Investigators use the feedback they receive as they see fit.
6. Community Research (CR) Core Meeting
   03/14/07, 9:00 A.M. – 10:30 A.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 1B, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
7. NEW! Community Advisory Board (CAB) Meeting
   03/15/07, 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 1B, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT
8. RFA Innovative Pilot Projects In Priority Areas of HIV/AIDS Prevention Research sponsored by CIRA. The concept paper is due by 3/16/07.
   
   The purpose of this RFA is to stimulate innovative research in two specific priority areas:
   
   
   1. Structural interventions to enhance recent advances in HIV prevention and treatment. Advances that would be considered under this priority area include: expansion of ARV treatment in resource poor countries, pre-exposure ARV prophylaxis (PREP), detection of and response to acute HIV infection, microbicides, acyclovir treatment of HSV-2 infection, circumcision, and early or rapid detection of HIV infection. Research under this priority area may consist of studies of the impact of structural interventions (e.g. policies, the organization of health service systems, community mobilization) to promote these recent advances, as well as studies aimed at identifying the structural factors that may hinder or facilitate their promotion.
   2. Prevention for HIV positives, with a focus on detection and management of comorbid conditions, such as mental health disorders, substance use (including alcohol and prescription drugs), tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, etc. Research under this priority area may include descriptive studies, studies to identify facilitators of and barriers to successful prevention, formative research in preparation for intervention studies, and pilot intervention studies.
   CIRA has $40,000 available to fund one or two projects, with a maximum award of $25,000. Funding will be provided for up to one year, with the expectation that research results will serve as the basis for an investigator-initiated grant application to an external funding agency. All investigators are eligible to apply, irrespective of their seniority or previous HIV research experience. However, we especially encourage proposals from junior investigators, women, and underrepresented minorities. We welcome proposals for projects undertaken in either domestic or international settings.
   
   Contact: For full information about the application process please go to http://cira.med.yale.edu/opportunities/pilotrfa_pas.html.

C. OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. NEW! IMPORTANT NOTICE! Change in Standing Receipt Dates for AIDS and AIDS-related applications for NIH/AHRQ Beginning in May 2007 (NOT-OD-07-053) Effective date: 5/7/07
   In October 2006 NIH and AHRQ announced a spreading of due dates that involved all applications except AIDS (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-001.html). Since then organizations have noted that the January 2 date causes particular problems for many institutions that are closed or have very low staffing at the end of December. Therefore, effective May 7, 2007 the due dates for AIDS applications are May 7, September 7, and January 7. It was felt that it would be easiest to use the same date for all three cycles. Note that all competing AIDS applications (except those submitted to Funding Opportunity Announcements with special dates) are due on those dates. This includes paper and electronic submissions for review in the Center for Scientific Review and the various Institutes/Centers. It includes new, renewal (formerly termed competing continuation), resubmission (formerly called revision or amended), and revision (formerly identified as supplemental) applications for all mechanisms.
   Issued by: National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
   Contact: For more information please go to: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-053.html.
2. THIS WEEK ! Working Research Group: "Addiction, Mental Health, and HIV/AIDS" Topic: "Project Prevention"
   02/27/07, 11:30 A.M. (RSVP by replying to this email)
   Speaker(s): Kevin S. Irwin, M.A., Research Associate, Yale School of Public Health, CIRA
   Sponsor(s): Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics
   Location: Conference Room, 87 Trumbull Street, New Haven, CT
   Contact: For more information or to RSVP, please contact jonathan.moser@yale.edu.
3. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS! Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice International Conference
   Deadline for proposal submission is March 15, 2007. Conference is 6/7/07-6/9/07
   
   Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice will focus on the promise, pitfalls, and "best practices" of CBCR to address disparities and inequities in the arenas of health, education, artistic and cultural representation, development, and the environment. Successful CBCR relies on different perspectives to look critically at the ways in which the research is - and can be - used to promote social justice in communities worldwide. We invite you to join an interdisciplinary network of people who are interested in the use of CBCR to reduce social inequities in their communities. We encourage submissions from researchers, community partners, artists, activists, service providers, health professionals, educators, students, policymakers, funders and others who address CBCR and social justice issues. We anticipate that participants will present project-based case studies, share innovative community action based on research and community input, and offer critical reflection pertaining to the overall conference theme.
   Sponsor(s): The Institute for Community Research and co-sponsored by CIRA
   Location: Hartford, CT
   Contact: For complete information please go to the Conference Web site.
4. "New Considerations in Community-Based, Culturally Congruent, HIV and Trauma Interventions for HIV Positive Women and Men"
   03/02/07, 10:15 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
   Speaker: Gail E. Wyatt, Ph.D.; Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior; Director, UCLA Sexual Health Program; Director, Center for Trauma and Mental Health Disparities; Associate Director, UCLA AIDS Institute; Clinical Psychologist; Sex Therapist
   Sponsor: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Prevention and Community Research
   Location: Connecticut Mental Health Center Auditorium, 34 Park St., New Haven, CT
5. "Pain Management, Addiction & HIV"
   03/08/07, 9:30 A.M - 11:00 A.M. (Registration is at 9:00 A.M.)
   Speaker(s): R. Doug Bruce, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine AIDS Program; Medical Director, South Central Rehabilitation Center
   Sponsor(s): CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC)
   Location: Yale School of Nursing, 100 Church St. South, New Haven CT, New Lecture Hall on the 2nd floor (blue awning entrance). Stop by the YSN Reception Desk for directions. Free parking, refreshments will be served.
   Contact: Please RSVP by 3/5/07 to Betsy at (203) 737-2312 or email caetc@yale.edu.
6. Greater New Haven HIV/AIDS Clinical Series "14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections-Clinical Update"
   03/08/07, 12:00 P.M - 1:00 P.M. (Lunch will be provided)
   Speaker(s): Michael Kozal, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Yale University; Director of the VA HIV Clinic & HIV Virology Research Laboratory and Kevin D. Dieckhaus, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Connecticut; Medical Director of the CT AIDS Education and Training Center
   Sponsor(s): CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC) and The Yale AIDS Program
   Location: 3rd Floor Conference Room, 135 College Street, New Haven CT
   Contact: Please RSVP by 3/5/07 to Betsy at (203) 737-2312 or email caetc@yale.edu.
7. Waterbury HIV Educational Series "14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections-Clinical Update"
   03/08/07, 3:00 P.M. (Refreshments provided by Boehringer Ingelheim)
   Speaker(s): Kevin D. Dieckhaus, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Connecticut; Medical Director of the CT AIDS Education and Training Center
   Sponsor(s): CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC) and the Waterbury Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic
   Location: Waterbury Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic, L-06 Conference Room, 140 Grandview Avenue, Waterbury, CT
   Contact: Please RSVP by March 6, 2007: CAETC@yale.edu or (203) 737-2312.
8. NEW! The Hartford HIV Forum - “Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings”
   03/13/07, 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. (Lunch will be provided)
   Speaker(s): Steven I. Aronin, MD FACP, Medical Director, Waterbury Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic; Assistant Hospital Epidemiologist, Waterbury Hospital Health Center.
   Sponsor(s): The Institute for Community Research (ICR) and CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC)
   Location: Institute for Community Research, 2 Hartford Square West, Suite 100, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford, CT. 06106 Free parking on Wyllys St.
   Contact: Please RSVP to: (860) 278-2044. For additional information, visit their website at: www.incommunityresearch.org
9. The Bridgeport Community HIV Forum - "Crystal Meth and HIV"
   03/28/07, 12:30 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. (Lunch will be provided)
   Speaker(s): Gloria Searson, Advocacy Relations Manager, Manhattan & New England
   Sponsor(s): CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC) and the Evergreen Network
   Location: First Baptist Church, Brown Room, 126 Washington Ave., Bridgeport, CT
   Contact: You must RSVP to be assured lunch: CAETC@yale.edu or (203) 737-2312 or to the Evergreen Network at 203-576-0677
10. NEW!A 24-hour, non-credit on-line course in HARM REDUCTION
    April 23 to June 15, 2007 (8 weeks) Deadline for early bird registration: 4/4/07
    The course designed to introduce service providers, administrators and policy makers to the basic principles, philosophy and application of Harm Reduction. This on-line course will be of value to a broad range of practitioners / service providers, administrators and policy advisors / analysts interested in gaining a better understanding of Harm Reduction and of how to implement Harm Reduction policy and practice within their organizations and communities.
    Sponsor(s): Professional Enrichment Program, The Division of Continuing Education, York University and the Faculty of Education, York University
    Contact: For more information: Marina DeBona-Ross, mdebona@yorku.ca, (416) 650-8049, website: http://www.canadianharmreduction.com.
    To register: www.atkinson.yorku.ca/harmreduction
11. Arts and Public Health in Action: Study of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland
    Yale Summer Session class offered in Swaziland. Application deadline: April 2
    Faculty: Rebecca Rugg and Kaveh Khoshnood
    Theater practice and Epidemiology come together in partnership to provide a vital, hands-on intervention into the HIV/AIDS pandemic in southern Africa. We will travel to Swaziland to collaborate with local artists who are using theater as a mode of discourse in the fight against HIV/AIDS; under the guidance of master teacher Ntare Mwine we will conduct theater workshops with local secondary school students; we will work in the field with local NGOs. Over five weeks, this practical work will amplify and deepen our classroom study of theater as a mode of social and political intervention and of major topics on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In the final week of the course, we will travel to the Grahamstown Arts Festival in South Africa, where students will synthesize their learning through exposure to a wide array of African cultural production, evaluating how the work engages with the theories of art activism and public health we’ve studied. Through experiences in the classroom and in the field, students will arrive at deeply informed perspectives on the AIDS pandemic in southern Africa, and will gain an activated understanding of the issues in public health, as well as the possibilities for theatrical interventions.
    Contact: For more information and application details go to the Web site.