NIAID invites the scientific community to help shape a research initiative to further efforts to develop a cure for HIV infection. The initiative will focus on eliminating the low levels of HIV that persist in the blood, even in individuals taking highly effective antiretroviral therapy. To fully explore the potential for HIV eradication, it is critical to understand the source of this residual virus, to identify the molecular mechanisms that facilitate its persistence, and to develop strategies for eliminating the virus or clarify why it cannot be eliminated.

Specifically, NIAID seeks responses to the following questions:

1. What research should be included in this initiative? Describe what new basic information, technologies and resources are needed to make progress in this area. Indicate whether animal models, pilot clinical studies or both should be included.
2. What research should be excluded from this initiative? Describe what approaches have already been or are currently being explored sufficiently.
3. Is there value added to pursuing this research within a collaborative framework, or would the traditional investigator-initiated mechanisms work just as well, or possibly better?
4. What is the optimal configuration for a research collaboration between academia and the private sector to work on this problem? Describe the respective roles and contributions of the partners and how the collaboration should be managed.

Please send your ideas to persistence@niaid.nih.gov. Responses will be accepted until 5:00 pm Eastern Time on January 15, 2009, and will help shape a funding opportunity announcement to be issued in 2009.

For further information, please see the HIV Persistence Request for Information.

Media inquiries can be directed to the NIAID Office of Communications at 301-402-1663, niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov.