Current Research > CAPS Fellowships > Collaborative HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities Program

The Collaborative HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities Program

A program that provides funding for HIV prevention research with ethnic minority communities


2008 Visiting Professors and UCSF Mentoring Faculty

Why this program?

The Collaborative HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities program is designed to assist investigators already conducting HIV-prevention research with ethnic minority communities to improve their programs of research and obtain
additional funding for their work. The goals of the program are:

  • To increase the quantity and quality of HIV prevention research targeting vulnerable ethnic minority populations.
  • To develop theory-based, culture-specific research methods for effective HIV prevention interventions.
  • To increase the number of minority group members among principal investigators funded by the NIH, CDC and other agencies.

"Every aspect of my experience in the Visiting Professors program was extraordinarily helpful. The faculty at CAPS has vision and a deep sense of commitment to work with the Visiting Professors. The breadth of scholarly expertise in HIV and AIDS prevention along with a caring work ethic were core elements of the program." -2006 Visiting Professor

Who should apply?

The Collaborative HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities program is designed for scientists in tenure-track positions or investigators in research institutes who have not yet obtained RO1 funding from the NIH or equivalent funding from another agency.

We seek scientists who are conducting theory-driven, culturally specific HIV prevention research with minority communities.  Evidence of prior pilot or intramural funding and publication in peer reviewed journals is desired.  Applicants must be eligible to be Principal Investigators at their institutions.

Criteria that will be considered in selecting scientists for this program:

  • Commitment to HIV prevention and minority-focused research.
  • Prior HIV prevention research with minority communities and community based organizations.
  • Past experience conducting research/writing papers.
  • Quality of letters of recommendation from colleagues and mentors.
  • Support from home institution (e.g., time off for research, seed money)

"The CAPS VP program breathes new life into the research world by giving a voice to junior faculty who have fresh ideas and experiences from different perspectives. This is a very hands on and personalized program which takes a lot of hard work and tenacity.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything. CAPS faculty values VP ideas, while simultaneously giving critical feedback on theory development and grantsmanship. The program assists our success as scientists and ultimately our goal of curbing the HIV epidemic in communities of color." -2006 Visiting Professor

Program activities

Each year a small number of scientists will be selected to develop an ethnic minority-focused HIV-prevention research project. Each scientist will work with CAPS investigators to develop a specific program of research tailored to his or her research interest. During the program scientists will:

  • Spend six weeks in San Francisco for three summers.
  • Receive a monthly stipend for living expenses (each summer) and roundtrip airfare to San Francisco.
  • Receive up to $25,000 to conduct preliminary research before the second summer, to strengthen an investigator-initiated RO1 application.
  • Design appropriate initial studies.
  • Analyze and write up data from these studies.
  • Plan subsequent research.
  • Apply for funding for their research program.
  • Respond to review committee comments on their application.

For detailed description of how this program works, please see the Program Overview and the Description of Summer Seminars and Activities.

Program dates

We are not accepting any new participants in the program for the summer of 2009 as we are in the process of obtaining renewal funding for our NIH training grants and matriculating our current group of program participants. If you think you might be interested in the program the following year (e.g., applying in the fall of 2009 to participate in the program starting in the summer of 2010), please email your contact information to Debra Allen (debra.allen@ucsf.edu) and check this website again in the fall of 2009 for more information.

Meet the Visiting Professors

The Collaborative HIV-Prevention Research in Minority Communities Program has now collaborated with 40 Visiting Professors: Sonya Arreola, George Ayala, Faye Belgrave, Gauri Bhattacharya, Lisa Bowleg, Deborah Brome, Emma J. Brown, Hector Carrillo, John Chin, Judith Cornelius, Stacey Daughters, Lauren Durant, Sonja Feist-Price, Sheldon Fields, Larry Gant, Dorie Gilbert, Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Kim Jacob-Arriola, David Malebranche, Wende Marshall, Robert Miller, Don Operario, Kurt Organista, Blanca Ortíz-Torres, Mark Padilla, Jesus Ramirez-Valles, Rocio Rivedeneyra, Lynn Roberts, Laura Romo, Fred Ssewamala, Lois Takahashi, Nelson Varas-Diaz, Dexter Voisin, Scyatta Wallace, Celeste Watkins, Darrell Wheeler, Eric Whitaker, Leo Wilton, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, and Maria Cecilia Zea. Meet all the Visiting Professors.

What have we accomplished?

CAPS is a leader in HIV-prevention research in minority communities. The unique contribution of the present project is that it will allow minority-focused investigators to use the technical assistance of a team of collaborators who are both successful researchers and knowledgeable about the issues of doing HIV prevention research with minority communities.

Director: Tor Neilands, PhD (Quantitative Methods, Social Psychology), Diane Binson, PhD (Research Methods, Sociology)

Co-Investigators: Judith Barker, PhD (Medical Anthropology), Cherrie Boyer, PhD (Psychology), Olga Grinstead, PhD, MPH (Clinical Psychology, Public Health), and Jeanne Tschann, PhD (Social Psychology).

For more information, please contact:

Debra Allen
Program Coordinator
50 Beale Street, Suite 1300
San Francisco, CA 94105
tel: (415) 597-4979
email: debra.allen@ucsf.edu

For more research opportunities in the area of HIV/AIDS and ethnic minorities, please visit The American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program and Office HIV/AIDS Research Training Fellowship Program.

Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).