Policy Research
HIV Policy Research Centers (2025)
CHRP invested over $2,000,000 to support the continued work of the California HIV Policy Research Centers. This will allow dedicated time for the Policy Research Centers to focus on analysis and dissemination of work that connects outcomes to California policy changes that support Californians living with or impacted by HIV. In addition, a portion of this award will be dedicated to support capacity building to strengthen the skills and expertise within community organizations to conduct policy research.
________________________________________________
Northern California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center
Principal Investigator: Emily Arnold
Budget: $1,726,017
Start Date: February 1, 2025 End Date: January 31, 2027
Project Abstract: We propose a two-year extension of the Northern California HIV Policy Research Center (NorCalPRC), which conducts research and evaluation to inform policies and programs that respond to HIV and its associated epidemics in California. We represent a community-academic partnership that works as a team to identify emerging and timely HIV-related policy issues affecting California, formulate appropriate research questions and implement innovative high impact research relevant to those issues, and disseminate findings back to key health policy stakeholders, and academic, clinical, and community audiences to help end HIV and its associated epidemics in California. Our two academic partners, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of California Berkeley (UCB), will engage with our community-based partner, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF), to carry out rapid response research projects that are already in the field and to identify potential policy-relevant topics to efficiently respond to with available data. In addition, we are adding a capacity building arm to our center, led by Drs. Laramie Smith and Orlando Harris (Goal D). This team will work with community partners (Oakland LGBT Center, Sacramento LGBT Center, DAP Health, and Harm Reduction Coalition San Diego) to form a community-academic collaborative (CAC) responding to the epidemic in 4 Ending the HIV Epidemic counties. The NorCal PRC academic UCSF/UCB/UCSD team includes a number of investigators with training and expertise in HIV policy analysis, psychology, anthropology, nursing, sociology, epidemiology, and behavioral economics. The SFAF team, based at an organization serving those at highest risk for HIV and its associated epidemics, hosts two investigators who are knowledgeable about emerging policy trends that would affect HIV prevention and care at the federal, state, and local levels. Together we have the experience, skills, and strong partnership to produce actionable policy research to help alleviate HIV and its related health conditions in California.
Southern California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center
Principal Investigator: Ian Holloway
Budget: $844,153
Start Date: February 1, 2025 End Date: January 31, 2027
Project Abstract: The Southern California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center (SCHPRC) brings together a multidisciplinary team of community leaders, scientific experts, and dedicated staff to achieve the following aims: (1) identify emerging policy issues related to HIV and related syndemics through engaging key stakeholders, including consumers, healthcare and social service providers, advocates, and policymakers; (2) conduct objective, rigorous, rapid response research to address such issues, including topics related to HIV disparities, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, and overdose; and (3) inform policy making by disseminating relevant and timely research findings. Through broad dissemination, our research will make a measurable impact for Californians living with and at risk for HIV and related syndemics.
Background. For over fifteen years, SCHPRC has led a community-academic policy research collaborative, bringing the most relevant and timely research evidence to bear on HIV policymaking in California. SCHPRC’s approach to addressing disparities in HIV-syndemic outcomes includes collaborating with communities most affected by HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, and overdose. We prioritize stakeholder engagement throughout all stages of the research process.
Methods. SCHPRC partners identify and prioritize novel and emerging HIV-related policy issues. Academic partners use appropriate research methods to execute rapid response research in a condensed timeframe (e.g., 6- to 9-months). Findings are packaged into easily digestible research products (e.g., policy briefs, fact sheets, infographics) to maximize broad dissemination. Community partners hold primary responsibility for placing SCHPRC research in the hands of decision-makers. For the proposed renewal application, SCHPRC will continue engaging in robust collaboration with investigators from CHRP-funded policy research centers and cross-center dissemination.
Impact. Policy impact is based on successful dissemination of research products to inform ongoing debates that affect Californians affected by HIV and related syndemics. By designing research whose primary purpose is to inform pending law and policy and be responsive to the needs of varied stakeholders across California, SCHPRC will continue to be a leading source for HIV-syndemic policy research in California.
Policy Center Archive
Information about previous policy center awards and to read the publications resulting from those awards can be accessed in the archive here.