Frequently Asked Questions
OAR was established by Congressional legislation in 1988 to address the expanding HIV/AIDS pandemic.
To learn more, visit History.
No, OAR is not part of an NIH Institute. OAR is part of the NIH Office of the Director (OD) and is one of thirteen offices in the OD Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI).
To learn more, visit About OAR and see the OAR Organization page. (Add link to new org page).
The Office of AIDS Research is in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), in the NIH Office of the Director (OD), and coordinates the scientific, budgetary, legislative, and policy elements of the NIH HIV/AIDS research program to develop new tools in the global fight against AIDS.
The OAR works across the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, with partners, and stakeholders to establish the scientific research priorities for the global fight against HIV. The OAR uses these priorities to develop the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research to ensure that research funds are invested in the areas of highest scientific priority.
To learn more, visit About OAR.
OAR works across the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices, and with the scientific community, people with HIV, community-based organizations, and other nongovernment groups to establish the scientific research priorities for the global fight against HIV. The priorities address prevention, treatment, developing a cure, and managing comorbidities and health complications that are common in PWH.
To learn more, see OAR’s Coordinating Role.
Check out OAR’s NIH HIV/AIDS News section. To see more, visit the NIH News Releases.
As HIV crosses nearly every area of medicine and scientific investigation, the NIH response to the HIV pandemic requires a multi-Institute, multidisciplinary, global research program. Of the 27 Institutes and Centers, and 13 Offices within the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), 23 ICOs and six DPCPSI Offices are currently involved in HIV/AIDS research. The OAR is responsible for coordinating the scientific, budgetary, and legislative and policy elements of this NIH research program and ensures that research funds are invested effectively and efficiently across these ICOs.
To learn more, see the NIH HIV Research Program and the Research Index by NIH Institute or Center.
The OAR establishes HIV/AIDS research priorities and develops the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research. The OAR ensures that HIV/AIDS research funds are distributed across the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices based on the Plan.
The research priorities that guide the Plan and the decision-making process for HIV funding, are: Reduce the Incidence of HIV; Develop Next-Generation Therapies for HIV; Conduct Research Toward an HIV Cure; Address HIV-Associated Comorbidities, Coinfections, and Complications; and Advance Cross-Cutting Areas of research.
To learn more, see the HIV Policy and Research section.
The NIH HIV Research program is multidisciplinary and cuts across every area of clinical medicine and basic scientific investigation and crosses the boundaries of many NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). To learn about the ICOs that are receiving funding from OAR to conduct HIV-related research, see the Research Index by NIH Institute or Center.
To learn more about ongoing research, visit OAR’s NIH HIV/AIDS News section. For additional information, see the NIH News Releases.
The OAR scientists are leaders who use their expertise to set the agenda and priorities for the global NIH HIV/AIDS research that is conducted by the Institutes, Centers, and Offices at NIH. OAR scientists also lead program planning; evaluate the impact and outcomes of OAR-funded projects; and develop high-level congressionally-mandated documents, such as the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research. Through these leadership activities, the scientists at OAR steer global NIH HIV/AIDS research forward to help end the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
To learn more about OAR’s scientific leadership, see Executive Leadership and OAR’s Coordinating Role.
No, OAR does not conduct scientific research. OAR’s responsibilities are to plan, coordinate, and evaluate HIV/AIDS research; set scientific priorities for the NIH research agenda; and determine budgets for all NIH HIV/AIDS research.
The NIH AIDS Executive Committee (NAEC) facilitates communication between OAR and all ICOs that use HIV/AIDS funding. A designated HIV/AIDS Coordinator from each ICO that conducts HIV/AIDS research works closely with the OAR.
To learn more, scroll down the OAR’s Coordinating Role page to the NAEC section.
OAR’s mission is to ensure that NIH HIV/AIDS research funding is directed at the highest priority research areas and to facilitate the maximal return on the public investment of funds. By doing so, OAR advances research to end the national HIV epidemic; end the global pandemic; and improve health outcomes for people with HIV.
To find more information on how OAR accomplishes its mission, see About OAR.
The OARAC provides advice to the OAR Director on the planning, coordination, and evaluation of research and other HIV/AIDS activities conducted or supported by NIH, and the Council also advises other Federal officials on HIV/AIDS research programs.
To see more details, visit the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council page.
The OAR works across the NIH and with the scientific and HIV communities to establish the scientific research priorities for the global fight against HIV and uses those research priorities to guide the development of the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research.
To learn more, see the HIV Policy and Research section of the OAR website.
To see how OAR ensures that HIV-related funds are aligned with the NIH HIV research priorities and allocated effectively across NIH, visit HIV Policy and Research and the NIH HIV Research Program.
Visit HIV Resources for Researchers on the OAR website, and look at Grants & Funding and Funding on the NIH website.
See OAR’s HIV Resources for Health Professionals.
Visit OAR’s HIV Resources for the Public; HIV.gov; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): HIV; the CDC National Prevention Information Network; and the AVERT HIV Timeline.
No, OAR does not do HIV testing. OAR’s role is to advance NIH research to help end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. and the global pandemic. The OAR coordinates the NIH HIV/AIDS research program that includes studies on HIV testing, treatment, prevention and on finding a cure for HIV/AIDS.
While clinical services, such as HIV testing, are not part of the role of the Office of AIDS Research, OAR can direct you to an official U.S. government resource where you can find HIV testing. Go to HIV.gov.
OAR collaborates with sister agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services that offer additional information on HIV/AIDS and on HIV testing.
To learn more about the organization of the agencies, and how OAR fits into the picture, see the OAR Organization page.
Visit NIH Clinical Research Trials and You on the NIH website.
Go to the NIH Frequently Asked Questions page and look at the Health Information section.
This page last reviewed on November 29, 2022