Partnering and Programming for a BIPOC SGM Runway to HIV Research

The NIH has identified structural racism and discrimination in the biomedical research enterprise as a contributing factor to the dearth of Underrepresented Minorities (URM) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) trainees who engage in HIV science. To help develop pathways to successful careers in HIV behavioral and data science, as a means to widening the runways for URM/BIPOC sexual and gender minority (SGM) HIV scientists at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels, we propose a Summer Intensive Program in partnership with community organizations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The overall purpose of the program is to pilot a two-week summer intensive to increase the number of URM/BIPOC SGM trainees engaging in intersectional HIV science in the future; leverage existing/new partnerships with HBCUs and MSIs to development of ongoing mentoring partnerships among CFARs and MSIs; Collaboratively identify interests/opportunities for additional training and mentoring activities at a training level relevant to the HBCU/MSI partner: either high school, college, graduate (masters, doctoral, or medical) students or postdoctoral scholars. For the Program, we will12 scholars, selected from among a competitive national applicant pool. Scholars will be self-identified URM/BIPOC SGM people.