Project Summary - Pilot Research Project Core E The CWRU Center for Excellence on the Impact of Substance Use on HIV Pilot Research Project Core stimulates innovative investigator-initiated Substance use-related clinical, translational, and basic science research activities. The Pilot Research Project Core will be the focus for all of the mentoring and training activities of the Center for Excellence. The key program funded by the Core is the award of three annual pilot grants of $65,000 to early-career and Under- Represented in Medicine (URiM) investigators or more senior investigators who will be encouraged to pursue research in Substance Use. These pilot awards will be linked to one-on- one mentoring programs designed to enhance our junior and URiM faculty’s competitiveness for federal grants. Case Western Reserve University and the Program Director of this Center have significant experience in supporting junior and URiM investigators in advancing their careers. Since 2008, the CWRU School of Medicine, with support from the NIH, has invested $1,183,068 in its Mentored Scientist Pilot Grants. These awardees have received $19,423,434 in research funding as a result of their awards or a 16.4-fold return on investment. The CWRU Center for Excellence Pilot Project Core will strive to match and exceed this record and develop new investigators in the field of Substance Use research. Both applicants and awardees of these Pilot Project Awards and URiM investigators will be asked to participate in a one-on-one mentoring program, organized by the Core. Our institution, through the Strategic Investment Fund, will also provide support for this CWRU Center for Excellence by providing matching $65,000 seed funding for a fourth annual Pilot Award in which junior and URiM faculty take a leading role and invest $35,000 to promote Center growth and Core utilization and provide travel and other support for junior and underrepresented investigators. While the pilot awards expend NIH funds to support single investigator projects by new investigators, our Strategic Investment Fund, which exclusively uses institutional resources, supports teams that include outstanding young and URiM investigators in a leading role and also include established investigators. A total commitment from the Strategic Investment Fund for $500,000 has been made to this program. The specific aims of the Core are as follows: • Conduct responsive Pilot Research Grant programs that accelerate junior and URiM faculty development and encourage established investigators to expand into Substance use research. • Identify, mentor, and support the next generation of Substance Use investigators. • Train and provide support to Substance Use researchers in the planning and conduct of ethically sound, rigorous, and responsibly conducted research.

Project Narrative – Pilot Research Project Core E Substance use remains the second most common mode of exposure to HIV among infected individuals nationwide, representing 31% of total diagnoses. In addition, substance use is associated with a more severe course of HIV disease as shown by poor immune reconstitution and increased rate of co-morbidities. This core provides financial support, mentoring, and training for junior and under-represented minority faculty working in this arena.