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The Ponce
School of Medicine (PSM) RCMI AIDS Research Infrastructure Program (ARIP)
proposes to further upgrade its core laboratory units in order to best
meet the needs of current and prospective ARIP faculty members. It also
proposes to facilitate the institution of career development programs
specifically designed to meet the identified requirements of the ARIP
faculty members; the current mentoring and partnership program will be
strengthened to support their careers. The proposed ARIP Phase V
activities will revolve around three specific aims. Specific Aim #1: To
further improve and expand the research capabilities of the AIDS
research core laboratories in viral genetics, immunology, and drugs of
abuse. ARIP cores will be made accessible to the AIDS/HIV investigators
from other institutions and countries in order to facilitate the
development of high caliber collaborative research that will share the
same technologies. The advanced technologies and instrumentation offered
by ARIP will enable investigators to study the characteristics of the
AIDS/HIV infection in the Caribbean region. Sophisticated instruments
and equipment will be made available in real time to investigators from
other institutions (via an Internet-2 connection) in an ongoing effort
to foster collaboration. By accessing the institution website
(www.psm.edu), interested investigators can take part in online training
sessions as well as reserve instruments. Specific Aim #2: To implement a
career development program (tailor-made for individual ARIP faculty
members) that will include research & career mentoring, research
consultation, and partnership development. A concerted effort will be
made to develop a viable institutional faculty retention plan, which
will include faculty incentives through research enterprise activities;
in the past, lack of effective faculty development and retention
programs has caused the loss of key members. Critical self-analyses were
performed to identify the needs of current faculty members so that
specific plans might be designed around the requirements of each
individual. Specific Aim #3: To implement additional AIDS/HIV-related
research programs at PSM as well as at the island’s other three RCMI-sponsored
institutions. PSM currently has eight faculty members with actively
funded AIDS-related independent research projects (representing the
greatest number among the PR RCMI institutions). ARIP members have been
active in pursuing the possibility of developing CFAR and CTSA proposals
via the program’s ongoing partnership with the consortium of U-FL, USF,
FCU, and FSU. |
