New Online Tool Helps Early-Career Investigators Launch HIV Research Projects

Launching a newly funded research project can prove daunting, especially the first time around. The Center for AIDS Research at Emory University (Emory CFAR) is working to address this need through the creation of a new resource aimed at early-career HIV investigators.

The Emory CFAR recently launched this resource, the HIV Research Document Library, as a free, publicly accessible database of more than 300 documents from a range of funded study designs. The goal of the HIV Research Document Library is to provide investigators with examples of successful study protocols, detailed procedures successfully implemented by seasoned investigators, and other documentation to support the development of their own study design.

This effort is led by the Emory CFAR’s Prevention and Implementation Sciences (PAIS) Core, co-directed by Aaron Siegler, PhD; Natalie Crawford, PhD; and Jessica Sales, PhD; and coordinated by Core Manager Katy Berteau.

“We are excited to launch the HIV Research Document Library, a publicly accessible resource that will facilitate the success of early-career researchers and established researchers working in new areas,” says Siegler, associate professor of epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and co-director of the PAIS Core. “Emory’s HIV research is predominantly funded by taxpayers, and this repository builds on that investment by making easily accessible examples of the many documents that are required to do HIV research.”

Siegler notes that several of these resources are not immediately intuitive or taught in courses, like noting good ways to extract medical chart data or how to talk to potential participants.

“We call this a ‘library’ because our goal is for researchers to be able to obtain research documents as easily as checking out a book from a library. Democratizing access to research tools is a merit-based activity, helping young researchers and trainees to conduct research that capitalizes on the quality of their ideas.”

Free Resources for All Researchers

Also included in the library are: 

●    consent forms
●    interview guides and codebooks
●    recruitment materials
●    publications 
●    IRB materials 
●    standard operating procedures
●    study resources on tuberculosis and other co-infections

Outside of the informational aspect of the library, the project team hopes it will serve as a connector between collaborators and funding organizations. 

“Beginning your first research study and applying for extramural funding is never easy, but access to sample materials like those available through the HIV Research Document Library removes barriers that may have kept faculty from pursuing new studies and funding opportunities in the past,” says Colleen Kelley, MD, Emory CFAR Co-Director for Prevention Science. “This is an outstanding tool supporting the Emory CFAR’s aim to develop the next generation of excellent HIV investigators.”

Submit Your Study 

The project team will continue to expand the scope and diversity of studies and documentation included in the library and are putting out a call to investigators for their completed study materials. The HIV Research Document Library gives full credit to the study investigators and institution by including the investigator, institution, and grant number citation in each document. 

Interested in sharing your study materials or have questions about the HIV Research Document Library? Contact Katy Berteau at k.berteau@emory.edu for details.