# Community Research & Engagement Core > **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $252,176 ## Abstract Core F: Community Research and Engagement Core ABSTRACT The Community Research and Engagement Core (Core F) catalyzes and supports high priority HIV research that requires the direct engagement of individuals in their communities, and engagement of communities and community organizations to address. Existing gaps in HIV testing coverage, prevention services and care have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Over a third of all individuals with diagnosed HIV are not receiving regular care from HIV providers and have unsuppressed virus. The COVID pandemic also revealed the fragile nature of community perceptions and trust in science and highlighted the importance of developing meaningful relationships between researchers and the communities we hope to impact. Core F is focused on supporting investigators addressing these important challenges in HIV prevention, care, and community engagement. Core F aims are: 1) to build research infrastructure that will provide meaningful support to investigators conducting community-based HIV research, 2) to identify, engage, mentor, and train new or new-to-HIV researchers in strategies necessary for effective community-based HIV research, and 3) to strengthen a bi- directional program of community engagement and communication with the Penn CFAR. To achieve these aims, Core F provides services to investigators as they develop applications to test interventions to reduce HIV infections among high risk, uninfected populations as well as those designed to improve viral suppression among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). In all its services, Core F places a high priority on assisting early career and transitional investigators, particularly those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Significant Core resources are devoted to community engagement initiatives including programmatic support for the CFAR Community Advisory Board (CAB), coordination with other HIV CABs on campus and developing opportunities for community members to have input into HIV research topics, design, and implementation challenges. Core F will work closely with the Implementation Science Core (as it did with the prior Scientific Working Group (SWG)) and collaborate with other CFAR Cores to capitalize on research opportunities, avoid duplication of effort, and maximize efficiencies in services. Core F places high value on inter-CFAR collaborations as a strategy for maximizing opportunities for mentoring, investigator support, and innovative research. Core F provides administrative and programmatic support to the National CFAR CAB Coalition (N3C), the CFAR Social and Behavioral Science Research Network (SBSRN) and coordinates the Penn CFAR’s involvement in the Mid Atlantic CFAR Consortium (MACC) and MACC Scholars Program. The Core will be led by Dr. David Metzger (Director), and to develop a new generation of leadership the Core has added three new investigators in the current cycle: Drs. Robert Schnoll (Co-Director) and Drs. Nadia Do... ## Key facts - **NIH application ID:** 10896656 - **Project number:** 2P30AI045008-26 - **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - **Principal Investigator:** DAVID S METZGER - **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.) - **Funding institute:** NIH - **Fiscal year:** 2024 - **Award amount:** $252,176 - **Award type:** 2 - **Project period:** 1999-07-01 → 2029-04-30 ## Primary source NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10896656 ## Citation > US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10896656, Community Research & Engagement Core (2P30AI045008-26). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10896656. Licensed CC0. --- *[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*