Investigator Pilot Awards

We are not accepting applications at this time

Investigator Pilot Awards support D-CFAR investigators who are new HIV investigators in generating preliminary data for a full K award proposal, investigators applying for their first R award, and investigators new to HIV (but established in other areas) to apply for their first HIV-focused research award.

We invite proposals in basic, clinical, behavioral, substance use, and implementation science research that align with the priorities of the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. Clinical trials are not allowed. Faculty with primary appointments at WashU, SLU, and HSSU, and who are early-stage investigators or who are established investigators new to HIV/AIDS research are eligible to apply.

Pilot awards will be awarded for one year and amount to $20,000 in direct costs only. Indirect costs will not be awarded. Contact the D-CFAR Developmental Core with questions, or visit our FAQ page for more information on applying for this funding opportunity.

Investigator Pilot Awardees

Award Recipient(s) Mentor(s) Award Date
Turning HIV’s Rapid Evolution Into Its Achilles Heel Priya Pal, MD, PhD Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD Fall 2025
Investigating Immune Dysfunction during HIV/TB Co-infection using a Humanized Mouse Model Chandra Pallavi, PhD Jennifer Philips, MD, PhD Fall 2025
Moving Beyond “Non-Adherence”: Employing A Cyclical Framework to understand HIV Care Trajectories After Syphilis Diagnosis Among People with Substance Use Disorders Kevin Xu, MD, MPH Michael Durkin, MD, MPH Fall 2025
Invisible Risks: The Role of Air Pollution in HIV Health Outcomes Mintesnot Teni, PhD Enbal Shacham, PhD Summer 2025
Development and Validation of a Community-Informed Risk Assessment Tool for disengagement from HIV Care Dima Dandachi, MD, MPH Summer 2025
Assessing the Impact of Intersectional Stress on HIV Risk in Young, Black and Latino, Gay Men and Trans Women Octavio Mesner, PhD Jeremy Goldbach, PhD, LMSW Fall 2024
Evaluating InfaNt FeedinG PrActice GuidElines for Individuals with HIV (ENGAGE - HIV) Julia López, PhD, MPH, LCSW Ginger McKay, PhD, MA Fall 2024
Potential role for inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4) as a Marker of Latently Infected Cells and a Measure of Reservoir Size Javan Kisaka, PhD George Kyei, MD, MPhil, PhD
& Evelyn Bonney, PhD		 Fall 2024
Structural and Biochemical Study of the Interaction Between CARD8 and HIV-1 RNA Chen Shen, PhD Sebla Kutluay, PhD Fall 2024