# Evaluating a Multilevel Communication Campaign to Increase HIV Vaccine Trial Enrollment

> **NIH NIH R01** · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER · 2024 · $643,002

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) has experienced significant challenges recruiting
participants in early-stage HIV vaccine clinical trials. Formidable barriers to participation
in HVTN preventive HIV early phase trials, including lack of HIV public urgency, numerous
study visits, long-term follow-up, vaccine induced seropositivity and HIV stigma, have
resulted in significant challenges enrolling participants into these trials. We will co-refine
an existing media campaign, develop, test and evaluate a multilevel communication
strategy to address some of these crucial concerns and strengthen our reputation of
trustworthiness in marginalized communities disproportionately affected by HIV to
increase their enrollment into early-stage HIV vaccine trials. Over the next 7 years, the
HVTN will focus on the early phase trial program to move the field forward and to identify
products efficiently and effectively for later efficacy testing. This will require the
development and deployment of evidence-based strategies to combat misinformation and
to strengthen community engagement. Our team and the clinical research sites in our
Network have forged longstanding community partnerships with diverse stakeholders.
During our phase 3 clinical trials for the US government-funded COVID-19 vaccine clinical
trials we developed new strategies to supplement our community engagement program:
(1) a consumer-driven marketing and advertising campaign; (2) virtual town halls and
listening sessions; and (3) the use of expert panels to review protocols and provide
guidance and direction. We will build on this work to inform our HIV strategy. We
assembled an experienced team of diverse researchers to accomplish the following aims:
1) Identify components of an initial media campaign that impact HIV vaccine trial
registration and develop a multilevel communication strategy; 2) Evaluate the impact of
the multilevel communication strategy on Phase I HIV vaccine trial registration; and 3)
Determine if the multilevel communication strategy generates public engagement with
vaccines and vaccine trials. This project will be the first large-scale communication study
conducted in the United States to improve community awareness of and engagement
with HIV vaccine trial research. It will assess misinformation and engagement with this
strategy to inform current and future HIV vaccine trials recruitment and is expected to
have a positive health impact by establishing robust strategies to improve diversity,
equity, and inclusion in Phase 1 preventive HIV vaccine trials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10885911
- **Project number:** 5R01MH132500-02
- **Recipient organization:** FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Michele Peake Andrasik
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $643,002
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-19 → 2028-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10885911

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10885911, Evaluating a Multilevel Communication Campaign to Increase HIV Vaccine Trial Enrollment (5R01MH132500-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10885911. Licensed CC0.

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