Dear CFAR Community,
As we prepare for our grant renewal next year, we have identified Artificial Intelligence as a priority for our CFAR renewal. This priority has been spelled out by both the NIH in a strategic update provided on August 15, 2025 and by our own interest at UCSF to propel the field forward. We would like to invite concept proposals for a potential new Scientific Working Group on AI, first via a letter of intent and then a full proposal if invited to proceed. This letter of intent can be broad or more focused. Please remember our three main Cores of our CFAR renewal will be an Implementation Science Core, a Basic/Translational Core, and a Clinical Research Core. Our enduring Cores are the Administrative Core and the Developmental Core, the latter of which includes our flagship mentoring programs.
Please read on for more details. Please feel free to contact me or Lauren Sterling (lauren.sterling@ucsf.edu) with any questions on this process. We look forward to seeing your proposals (letters of intent due 1/20/26 and concept proposals if invited based on the LOI are due on 2/18/26).
Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH
UCSF-Bay Area CFAR Director
Purpose of a SWG in the CFAR:
A Scientific Working Group (SWG) is a group of investigators (HIV or non-HIV) who share a common interest in a specific area of scientific focus that is critical to addressing the HIV epidemic, but is a gap or underdeveloped at the CFAR institution(s). The research area should not already be well-established at the CFAR institution(s). The goal of a SWG is to promote multi-disciplinary collaborations that result in successful applications for new HIV/AIDS research awards and subsequent scientific contributions. Examples of working group aims/activities include but are not limited to: providing scientific leadership, promoting collaborative and interdisciplinary research, facilitating procurement of funding for relevant projects, assistance with faculty recruitment, mentoring, training, sponsoring events such as conferences or workshops, curriculum development.
For the SWG on AI, we are inviting concept proposals across the spectrum of science and do not require that any individual proposal span all areas (i.e., a proposal could propose activities to expand the use of AI in sociobehavioral research).
Timeline:
- December 18, 2025: Call for Concept Proposals for new SWG on AI released
- January 20, 2026: Letter of intent (1-2 page format) due about intent to submit SWG on AI– please include list/roles of key personnel and description of proposed activities
- Week of January 26: Brief feedback on the LOI and confirmation of eligibility will be provided
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February 18, 2026: Concept Proposal Applications Due (SWG Guidance)
- March 2026: Final decisions made
- April 2026: CFAR leadership will work with proposal leaders on the text for the renewal application from each Subcore/SWG to be finalized for the application by May 2026
