HIV Fellowship Program in Implementation Science (2025-2026)
Joint Fellowship in Socio-structural Determinants of Health (SDoH) & IS
On behalf of the Hopkins Implementation Science Hub at Johns Hopkins University and the inter-CFAR Implementation Science Working Group, we are welcoming applications for our seventh cohort of the NIH/NIAID-funded training opportunity in implementation science (IS) for early-stage investigators (ESIs) engaging in HIV-related research. Since its inaugural class of 2019-2020, the fellowship has engaged 147 fellows in the program. Implementation Science Fellows will be selected across the CFAR network and U.S. Universities to participate in a mentorship program, including both didactic, online, and mentored small group training in IS methodology. The applied mentorship focuses on the development of a grant application which incorporates IS methodology and/or training and culminates in a two-day in person grant refinement and networking workshop. This workshop will take place in Baltimore on May 14-15, 2026, and attendance is a requirement of the Fellowship.
Fellows are expected to:
The overarching goal of the fellowship is to support ESIs focused on HIV-related research with training and mentoring opportunities in IS to encourage and capacitate ESIs in the submission of successful IS-focused grants. Specifically, the objectives are:
Mentoring Team and Associated Faculty: Stefan Baral (JHU), Sheree Schwartz (JHU), Christopher Hoffmann (JHU), Seun Falade-Nwulia (JHU), Elvin Geng (Washington University in St. Louis), Patrick Sullivan (Emory), Vivian Go (UNC), Amanda Castel (George Washington) Arianna Means (UW), Kenneth Sherr (UW), J.D. Smith (Utah SOM), Carolyn Audet (Vanderbilt), Jessica Sales (Emory), Larry Hearld (UAB), Borsika Rabin (UCSD), Nicole Stadnick (UCSD), Justin Knox (Columbia) and Robin Gaines Lanzi (UAB)
Eligibility and logistics: Spots will be reserved exclusively for early-stage faculty (Assistant Professor, Research Assistant Professor and equivalent positions), post-doctoral fellows, and exceptional senior-level PhD candidates. All applicants must be NIH-defined early-stage investigators (ESIs) who have not held an R01 or equivalent award. The Fellowship is targeted at faculty, though exceptional pre- and post-doctoral candidates ready to submit grants will be considered. ESIs who hold or previously held EHE IS grant supplement awards are encouraged to apply.
Applicants will be asked to submit their NIH formatted biosketch, a one-page specific aims document pertaining to the grant that they will be developing, provide basic details of their proposed IS-related grant (e.g. working title, proposed funding mechanism, submission cycle), and a brief summary of their prior experience and planned future directions conducting implementation science research. The specific aims page does not need to be polished and is expected to evolve during the fellowship as IS skills advance. Because grant development is critical to the fellowship, we are seeking out applicants who will be submitting a grant that incorporates IS methodology and are committed to moving this forward. Funding will be available for the IS Fellows to attend the 2-day in-person meeting planned for May 14-15, 2026.
HIV, Social and Structural Determinants of Health, and Implementation Science
In partnership with the Implementation Science Coordination Initiative (ISCI) at Northwestern University, the University of Alabama (UA), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 6 slots will be available in the 2025-2026 cohort for joint training in social and structural determinants of health (SDoH) and implementation science (3rd cohort of the joint SDoH fellowship). The SDoH & IS Fellows will similarly apply to the HIV & IS Fellowship and will be expected to complete all the requirements of the HIV & IS Fellowship. While partnering with a community partner is not a requirement for the applicants, preference will be given to the applicants with community partners identified. If identified, we also encourage applicants to submit a letter of support from their community partners.
Additionally, SDoH and IS joint Fellows will be required to attend an online orientation session for the SDoH component on 28th October, a kick-off event with their community implementing partner at the UAB Institute for Human Rights (IHR) in Birmingham, Alabama November 13-14, 2025, and attend the May 2025 culminating meeting one-day early on May 13, 2026. Attendance at these events is a requirement of the joint fellowship.
Joint Fellows will receive a mentor from IHR, Alabama and from the HIV & IS Fellowship. Applicants will be asked if they wish to be considered for the joint fellowship and if interested, will be required to complete additional questions about their underlying interest in SDoH, their experience with community partners, and whether they have a current community partner. Specific aims for their proposed grant should be relevant to both SDoH and IS. The proposed grant must also focus on domestic HIV research, and, if a community partner is included, the partner must be located in the U.S. Faculty at IHR associated with the SDoH & IS Fellowship include Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter (UAB) and Dr. Dione King (UA) as well as IHR faculty associates who research SDoH, community-engaged research, and policy.
Interested applicants should apply online by Sunday, August 31st, 11:59 pm EDT at:
https://jh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_byns7gC1Nd5xpfo
Outcomes will be announced by Tuesday, September 16, 2025. The virtual fellowship will begin October 16, 2025.
Please direct questions to Lipin Lukose at [email protected]
