To ensure study findings meaningfully inform HIV policies and programs, researchers must foster ongoing and systematic engagement of communities, programs, and policymakers throughout the research process. This satellite will engage HIV researchers and stakeholders in learning why and how to promote stronger collaborations to enhance research utilization. During this session, we will describe the research utilization approach developed and used by Project SOAR (Supporting Operational AIDS Research), a six-year, USAID-supported initiative implementing more than 60 IS activities in over 20 countries. By presenting case studies from SOAR and the Population Council’s DREAMS implementation science research, we will present examples of successful engagement of decision-makers in the research-to-use process. Lastly, a panel of researchers and decision-makers will discuss challenges and opportunities for institutionalizing research utilization to answer key priority questions in HIV programming and policies.
Session chairs:
Isabel Vieitez Martínez, Population Council
Sam Kalibala, Project SOAR, Palladium
| 14:45 to 14:50 | Welcome | Isabel Vieitez Martínez |
| 14:50 to 15:00 | Overview | |
| Project SOAR overview | Eileen Yam, Population Council/Project SOAR | |
| SOAR research utilization framework | Sam Kalibala, Palladium/Project SOAR | |
| 15:00 to 16:10 | Different types of data to inform action: Case studies from Project SOAR and DREAMS |
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| Assessing “treat all” guidelines in Namibia | Lung Vu, Population Council | |
| Testing community ART for female sex workers in Tanzania | Albert Komba, Jhpiego | |
| PrEP for AGYW: how research bolstered PrEP roll-out in Tanzania | Sanyukta Mathur, Population Council | |
| Using mathematical modeling to inform VMMC policy | Michel Tchuenche, Avenir Health | |
| Moderated Q&A | Isabel Vieitez Martínez | |
| 16:10 to 16:40 | Moderated panel | Sam Kalibala |
| Local stakeholder involvement: who will be the “champions” that lead results into programs and Practice, and how do we find them?
Panelists: Albert Komba, Jhpiego/Tanzania Ndapewa Hamunime, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia Hugo López-Gatel Ramírez, Ministry of Health, Mexico Stella Kentutsi, National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAPHOPHANU), Uganda Ravipa Vannakit, USAID/Thailand |
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| 16:40 to 16:45 | Closing | Isabel Vieitez Martínez |