Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative

Clinical Trial Capacity Building and Networks

Clinical trials are an essential step in determining the safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates. Specialized skills and protocols are needed to conduct HIV vaccine clinical trials and strong and equitable international relationships are essential in ensuring an adequate population and cohort base for all phases of the trials.

The Clinical Trial Capacity Building and Networks program area aims to strengthen the capacity of researchers and research institutions to conduct high-quality clinical trials and to build site capacity to undertake clinical trials of HIV vaccines and other preventive technologies in LMICs. Specifically, funding is available for projects that will:

• establish or enhance collaboration between LMICs and Canadian researchers conducting clinical trials;
• enhance individual and institutional capacity in LMICs and Canada to conduct clinical trials of HIV vaccines and other prevention technologies;
• provide training or develop models, best practices and information-sharing protocols between researchers and the community;
• identify, recruit and retain cohorts of participants in LMICs, where HIV incidence and prevalence rates are high and clinical trials of HIV vaccines and other prevention technologies are planned or are ongoing; and
• examine regulatory/safety, community and social issues around HIV clinical trials.

Call for Proposals

CHVI Funding Commitment: $16 million over five years.

Expected Outcomes:

• strengthened capacity in Canada and LMICs for clinical trials of HIV vaccines and other prevention technologies; and
• new and strengthened collaborations and increased involvement of researchers and institutions in Canada and LMICs in integrated global HIV vaccine clinical trial efforts.