Pangaea Assists NIH Office of AIDS Research in Convening Expert Consultation on Implementation Science*

Scientific knowledge and financial resources available to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS have expanded considerably over the last decade. Yet the knowledge base regarding how to deliver interventions efficiently and effectively, transfer interventions from one setting or population to another, and make informed choices between competing interventions has not kept pace with the growth of HIV/AIDS services globally.

In response to the growing imperative for analyses to inform and improve uptake of proven interventions and to scale up HIV/AIDS programs, the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in collaboration with the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation, convened an expert consultation in July 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The consultation provided a forum for discussion and identification of research priorities in the field of implementation science as they relate to the NIH mission. The central question addressed through this consultation was how researchers and program implementers can work within the field of implementation science to achieve substantial positive impacts in public health, and to make recommendations on the role of NIH in reducing the research-to-implementation gap. The full report, including the recommendations arising from the meeting and a list of participants, is available here.

In Cape Town, Dr. Jack Whitescarver, NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director of OAR, explained that the goal of the consultation was to consider opportunities and priorities for implementation science research and the unique contribution the NIH could make to reduce the research-to-implementation gap.

Dr. Nancy Padian, Chair of the consultation and leader of the Pangaea team providing support to OAR on the project, emphasized the importance of the implementation science and its many applications in advancing effective health interventions in the field.. The final report reflects the key points made in presentations and group discussions at the consultation and summarizes recommendations for future NIH support.

“The goal of the consultation was a very practical one,” said Dr. Padian. “We were seeking to identify specific priority implementation science research areas in which an NIH research contribution could have the most substantial public health impact worldwide. The recommendations set out in the report are intended to provide an initial roadmap for advancing the NIH implementation science research agenda on HIV/AIDS.”

The recommendations from the consultation will be presented to the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council, which provides advice to the Director of OAR on the planning, coordination, and evaluation of AIDS research and training activities. OAR then will work closely with the key NIH Institutes and Centers to determine how best to move forward with the recommendations resulting from this consultation.

*The following summary is extracted in part from "Report from the Expert Consultation on Implementation Science Research: A Requirement for Effective HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Scale-Up,” July 23-24, 2009, Cape Town, South Africa. Sponsored by Office of AIDS Research, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation.