DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): The NIH has been a global leader in supporting research toward the improvement of both behavioral and biomedical, as well as combined, HIV prevention and treatment interventions. Although there have been significant advances in both general HIV basic and intervention trials research, and in research on the acute effects of alcohol on HIV-­related sexual risk, a gap remains on the intersection of these two bodies of knowledge. NIAAA has long supported basic behavioral and social research as a foundation for HIV prevention interventions as part of its HIV/AIDS research portfolio. Recent examples of NIAAA's support of such research include its subscription to NIH FOAs PA-­13-­121, "Research on alcohol and HIV/AIDS," and PA-­14-­061, "Substance use and abuse, risky decision-­making, and HIV-­AIDS." Of direct relevance to the proposed application, since 2005 NIAAA has sponsored three (2005, 2007, and 2014, respectively) workshops held in the Washington, DC area dedicated to bringing together invited basic and prevention science alcohol/HIV/AIDS researchers to discuss their research and to foster communication and collaborations between the basic research and prevention science communities. The main objective of this application is to use the foundation laid through NIAAA's prior efforts by convening alcohol/HIV researchers in order to discuss and disseminate recent research findings toward the explicit end of integrating that knowledge into models of HIV prevention and thereby HIV behavioral primary and secondary interventions ultimately to enhance their effectiveness. The proposed series of four conference meetings/workshops, given their timing and context, will allow presentation of information to a wide array of alcohol/HIV researchers in a focused, timely manner that will accelerate the advance of behavioral HIV prevention interventions in a way that is not feasible given current limitations in the resources available to NIAAA programs to sponsor conferences and workshops.

PROJECT NARRATIVE: The proposed conference will bring together alcohol researchers and prevention scientists representing multiple disciplines and a range of experience to advance understanding of how alcohol interacts with multiple biopsychosocial factors to contribute to HIV-­risk behavior. Their focus on this question in a conference context will provide a foundation for the development of novel and more effective HIV primary and secondary prevention programs that will be disseminated to the scientific, prevention practice, and general public communities.