May 7, 2007

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

A. CIRA SPONSORED AIDS SEMINARS

1. THIS WEEK! YACS @ CIRA Seminar Series
   05/10/07, 12:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M., (Lunch included)
   Title: "The Added Value of Family and Community Support for ART Program in Southern Africa"
   Speaker(s): Walter Obungu Obiero, Ph.D., Technical Adviser, Strategic Information Division, Family Health International
   Sponsor(s): Co-sponsored by CIRA and the Institution for Social and Policy Studies
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 200, 135 College Street, New Haven, CT
   Contact: Please RSVP to elizabeth.eocaci@yale.edu. For more information or directions, please call 764-4333, or visit the YACS @ CIRA Web site: http://cira.med.yale.edu/events/yacs.html.

B. CIRA MEETINGS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. CANCELLED! Executive Committee Meeting
   05/10/07, 10:30 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 200, 135 College Street, New Haven, CT
2. Interdisciplinary Research Methods (IRM) Core Meeting
   05/11/07, 10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 200, 135 College Street, New Haven, CT
3. NEW! Peer Review
   05/22/07, 10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.
   Location: CIRA, Ste # 200, 135 College 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 Andria Giovanelli (andria.giovanelli@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.

C. OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. New Haven HIV/AIDS Clinical Series: "HIV and Smoking"
   05/10/07, Noon. – 1:00 P.M. (Lunch will be provided)
   Speaker(s): Marjorie Golden, M.D., Infectious Diseases, Hospital of San Rafael
   Sponsor(s): The CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC) and The Yale AIDS Program
   Location: The Greek Olive, 402 Sargent Dr., New Haven, CT, Free Parking
   Contact: Please RSVP to be assured lunch: CAETC@yale.edu or (203) 737-2312
   
2. Waterbury HIV Educational Series: "Initial and Salvage HIV Therapy: What are the Best ART Strategies in 2007?"
   05/10/07, 3:00 P.M. (Refreshments will be provided)
   Speaker(s): Mike Kozal, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Yale University, Director of the VA HIV Clinic & HIV Virology Research Laboratory
   Sponsor(s): The CT AIDS Education & Training Center (CAETC) and the Waterbury Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic
   Location: Waterbury Hospital Infectious Disease Clinic, L-06 Conference Room at 140 Grandview Avenue, Waterbury, CT
   Contact: Please RSVP: CAETC@yale.edu or (203) 737-2312
   
3. "Drug Abuse and Risky Behaviors: The Evolving Dynamics of HIV/AIDS"
   5/8/07 8:15 A.M.-4:30 P.M.,   5/9/07 8:30 A.M.-12:15 P.M.
   The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is holding a two day meeting to explore wide-ranging issues related to drug abuse, impaired decision making, and HIV/AIDS. The meeting will provide a broad understanding of the multiple ways that drug abuse and addiction affect the spread of HIV/AIDS and how research can inform public health policy. Presentations will focus on the successes, research challenges, and opportunities for addressing the evolving HIV/AIDS pandemic. Attendees will be drawn from the research community, public health organizations, Federal agencies, and drug abuse and HIV/AIDS organizations.
   Speaker(s): Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director, NIDA and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director, NIAID Sponsor(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
   Location: Natcher Conference Center, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892
   Contact: A full agenda and speaker list is available at: http://conferences.masimax.com/riskybehaviors/agenda.cfm.
4. NEW! "The Evolution of a Global Pandemic: The Story of HIV/AIDS and Health Policy Responses from Around the World"
   06/01/07 8:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.
   The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS continues to be a clarion call to action for leaders in public health, as well as human development, economics, government, international security, and human rights. For the first time since the disease was identified, Public Health Challenges of the 21st Century will focus on bringing together public health and health policy professionals who are addressing the epidemic in all corners of the world and who will show how these sobering statistics have been the impetus for creative approaches in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The speakers will discuss what nations can do as members of the interconnected global village to address HIV/AIDS and the role of donor agencies and countries in establishing programmatic action at the scale necessary to achieve commitments to the cause.
   Sponsor(s): Yale University School of Public Health
   Location: New Haven Lawn Club, 193 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT
   Contact: To request a brochure or for more information: Dawn Carroll (dawn.carroll@yale.edu), 203-785-6245
5. NEW! Notice of Intent to Publish Program Announcements with Review to Support Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (NOT-OD-07-063)
   The Sponsor, in collaboration with several NIH Institutes/Centers and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), plans to issue two PARs using R01 and R21 funding mechanisms in early June 2007 and with an earliest start date in July 2008. The announcements will remain active for three years with receipts in September of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The purpose of these announcements is to encourage behavioral and social science research on the causes and solutions to health disparities in the U. S. population. Health disparities between, on the one hand, racial/ethnic populations, lower socioeconomic classes, and rural residents and, on the other hand, the overall U.S. population are major public health concerns. Emphasis is placed on research in and among three broad areas of action: 1) public policy, 2) health care, and 3) disease/disability prevention. Particular attention is given to reducing “health gaps” among groups. Proposals that utilize an interdisciplinary approach, investigate multiple levels of analysis, incorporate a life-course perspective, and/or employ innovative methods such as system science or community-based participatory research are particularly encouraged.
   Sponsor(s): Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), Office of the Director, NIH
   Contact: Ronald P. Abeles, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, (301) 496-7859, abeles@nih.gov
   http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-063.html
6. NEW! Notice of Intent to Announce a Competition for Funding NCMHD Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Initiative in Reducing and Eliminating Health Disparities: Intervention Research Phase (R24) (NOT-MD-07-001)
   This notice is to announce the intention to issue a FOA in May 2007 for funding the Sponsor’s community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative in reducing and eliminating health disparities - intervention research phase. This FOA will provide support for disease intervention research in reducing and eliminating health disparities using community-based participatory research that is jointly conducted by health disparity communities and researchers. The intent of this Notice is to alert and encourage current NCMHD CBPR planning grantees and other interested applicants who have CBPR expertise and have existing community and scientific research partnerships to consider applying to this FOA when published in the NIH Guide (http://www.nih.gov). In order to be considered to be responsive to this FOA, applicants who are not current NCMHD CBPR planning grantees must demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the required activities that are outlined in the research planning phase of this initiative.
   Sponsor(s): National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD)
   Contact: Francisco S. Sy, M.D., DrPH, Chief, Office of Community-Based Participatory Research and Outreach, (301) 402-1366, SyF@mail.nih.gov,
   http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MD-07-001.html