![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivka...but how to pass up the opportunity?
As part of the economic stimulus package, the Obama administration has set aside $200 million for "challenge grants," two-year NIH research awards that are aimed to hire a bunch of scientists and pump money into the economy. They have to be applied for immediately. (Well, they've been out for a few weeks, but I wasn't really thinking about grants last month.) The application is fairly minimal - you don't have to have "background" and "preliminary studies" sections the way you usually do, just a 12-page argument for what you want to do and why it's important.
The catch is that, whatever your dream research idea, you have to squeeze it so it fits into one of their approved topic areas. I know what I need to do next: take my research about HIV conspiracy theories and develop an intervention to address the problem. It didn't seem to fit into any of the challenge grant topic areas... except that a couple of days ago my RA pointed out that there might be one that kind of, if you cross your eyes a little, sort of fits.
It doesn't cost anything to query, right?
Dear Dr. Liu,
I am interested in applying for an NIH challenge grant under topic 01-TW-101, "Novel strategies to improve health care access for stigma-related conditions," but I am unsure whether my proposed topic would be considered to fall within this topic area. I would be grateful for your opinion.
I am currently studying "conspiracy theories" about the origins and treatment of HIV, and how they may have an impact on patients' willingness to accept antiretroviral therapy for HIV. To date I have found that patients who are on antiretroviral therapy are less likely to endorse conspiracy theories than patients who are not receiving therapy, and I am conducting a prospective study (funded by NINR as an R21) to determine how these beliefs affect untreated patients' responses to offered antiretroviral therapy.
I propose that conspiracy theories (for example, "the U.S. government was involved in starting the HIV epidemic" and "HIV doctors use patients as "guinea pigs," giving them experimental treatments without their consent) can only gain currency in the context of the intense stigma associated with HIV. When a disorder cannot be openly discussed, it is more difficult for patients to obtain and evaluate information; additionally, patients' own opinions and beliefs about the condition are unlikely to be brought out in the open where misconceptions can be identified and corrected. Also, it may seem only natural that a disease perceived as secret and shameful would have secret and shameful origins, or that identified patients would be mistreated by medical providers. Finally, patients may cling to conspiracy theories in order to justify their unwillingness to be tested or receive treatment, thus allowing them to avoid the stigma of HIV.
I would like to use a challenge grant to develop and pilot an intervention to address conspiracy theories about HIV and its treatment among African-Americans who have been diagnosed with HIV, with the aim of increasing these patients' willingness to receive antiretroviral therapy.
In your judgment, would this proposal fall within the category of "improving health care access for stigma-related conditions?" I would deeply appreciate your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Wald
Assistant Professor
Institute of Human Virology and
University of Maryland School of Medicine
As part of the economic stimulus package, the Obama administration has set aside $200 million for "challenge grants," two-year NIH research awards that are aimed to hire a bunch of scientists and pump money into the economy. They have to be applied for immediately. (Well, they've been out for a few weeks, but I wasn't really thinking about grants last month.) The application is fairly minimal - you don't have to have "background" and "preliminary studies" sections the way you usually do, just a 12-page argument for what you want to do and why it's important.
The catch is that, whatever your dream research idea, you have to squeeze it so it fits into one of their approved topic areas. I know what I need to do next: take my research about HIV conspiracy theories and develop an intervention to address the problem. It didn't seem to fit into any of the challenge grant topic areas... except that a couple of days ago my RA pointed out that there might be one that kind of, if you cross your eyes a little, sort of fits.
It doesn't cost anything to query, right?
Dear Dr. Liu,
I am interested in applying for an NIH challenge grant under topic 01-TW-101, "Novel strategies to improve health care access for stigma-related conditions," but I am unsure whether my proposed topic would be considered to fall within this topic area. I would be grateful for your opinion.
I am currently studying "conspiracy theories" about the origins and treatment of HIV, and how they may have an impact on patients' willingness to accept antiretroviral therapy for HIV. To date I have found that patients who are on antiretroviral therapy are less likely to endorse conspiracy theories than patients who are not receiving therapy, and I am conducting a prospective study (funded by NINR as an R21) to determine how these beliefs affect untreated patients' responses to offered antiretroviral therapy.
I propose that conspiracy theories (for example, "the U.S. government was involved in starting the HIV epidemic" and "HIV doctors use patients as "guinea pigs," giving them experimental treatments without their consent) can only gain currency in the context of the intense stigma associated with HIV. When a disorder cannot be openly discussed, it is more difficult for patients to obtain and evaluate information; additionally, patients' own opinions and beliefs about the condition are unlikely to be brought out in the open where misconceptions can be identified and corrected. Also, it may seem only natural that a disease perceived as secret and shameful would have secret and shameful origins, or that identified patients would be mistreated by medical providers. Finally, patients may cling to conspiracy theories in order to justify their unwillingness to be tested or receive treatment, thus allowing them to avoid the stigma of HIV.
I would like to use a challenge grant to develop and pilot an intervention to address conspiracy theories about HIV and its treatment among African-Americans who have been diagnosed with HIV, with the aim of increasing these patients' willingness to receive antiretroviral therapy.
In your judgment, would this proposal fall within the category of "improving health care access for stigma-related conditions?" I would deeply appreciate your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Wald
Assistant Professor
Institute of Human Virology and
University of Maryland School of Medicine
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 08:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 10:05 pm (UTC)Just a small flag -- your institution will let you start this late? Mine is issuing dire warnings about the how hundreds of proposals from across campus are expected and there are huge admin bottlenecks and plus everyone fully expects the NIH computers to struggle on deadline day, so get in early, etc etc etc. We're required to have budgets done pretty much already, and start seeking formal admin approvals next week. Everyone I know at any school who does research administration is already hating their life and trying to persuade their faculty that down to the wire submissions simply will not work this time because the systems are just not set up for the expected volume.
So, no intention to rain on your parade, but do ask what it looks like at your school before you commit.
Me, I'm sitting this one out, partly cuz it's all too crazy and partly cuz there's no money in this for international work.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 10:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 10:06 pm (UTC)So, new pictures of Colin while I was having/recovering from my new stroke?
no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-05 03:30 pm (UTC)