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Research Priorities

The Office of AIDS Research (OAR) establishes HIV/AIDS research priorities for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These research priorities are based on current data about the pandemic and the science to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure HIV. OAR partners with stakeholders such as the scientific community, people with HIV, and nongovernmental groups focused on HIV to develop the priorities.

These research priorities outline the NIH’s broad HIV/AIDS research agenda, guide decision-making processes related to HIV funding, and inform the development of the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research:

The following graphic provides additional detail about each priority area and illustrates how the research priorities are interrelated and how they overlap.

NIH Priorities for HIV and HIV-Related Research

NIH HIV Research Priorities

Cross-Cutting Areas

 

  • Basic Virology and Immunology
  • Behavioral and Social Sciences 
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Disparities
  • Information Dissemination
  • Implementation Science
  • Research Training, Infrastructure, and Capacity Building

Reduce the Incidence of HIV

 

  • Vaccines
  • Pre-exposure Prophylaxis
  • Microbicides and MPTs
  • HIV Testing
  • Treatment as Prevention
  • Monoclonal Antibodies

Develop Next-Generation HIV Therapies

 

  • Less Toxic and Longer Lasting ART
  • Novel HIV Targets & Inhibitors
  • Novel Immune-Based Therapies
  • Engagement, Adherence, and Retention in Care

Address HIV-Associated Comorbidities, Coinfections, & Complications

 

  • Coinfections
  • Neurologic Complications
  • Malignancies
  • Cardiovascular Complications
  • Mental Illness and Substance Use
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Across the Lifespan

Research Toward HIV Cure

 

  • Sustained ART-free Viral Remission
  • Viral Eradication
  • Viral Latency and Sanctuaries
  • Cure Ethics and Acceptability

Print Version

NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding

This page last reviewed on July 8, 2024