Seek, Test, and Treat: Addressing HIV in the Criminal Justice System (R01)

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Purpose. This initiative solicits R01 applications to empirically test the seek, test, and treat paradigm in criminal justice populations. The seek, test, and treat model involves reaching out to high risk, hard to reach groups who have not been recently tested (seek), engaging them in HIV testing (test), and initiating, monitoring, and maintaining HAART for those testing positive (treat). Researchers are encouraged to develop, implement, and test strategies to increase HIV testing and the provision of HAART to HIV seropositive individuals involved with the criminal justice system, with particular focus on continuity of HAART during and after community re-entry following incarceration. Key outcome measures include linkage to care (e.g., seen at care center post-release) and viral suppression (e.g., proportion with undetectable viral load 6 months or more after initiation of ART). Applications responsive to this FOA may propose intervention research at the individual, organizational, or system level that leads to effective approaches for expanding access to HIV testing and HAART treatment in the criminal justice system and in community organizations working with criminal justice systems and populations. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the R01 grant mechanism and encourages multi PI applications and/or multisite studies. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases intend to commit $10.6 million dollars to fund 7 to 9 new awards.

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