HIVNET HIV Network for Prevention Trials - Community Educators Group

Job Description: National HIVNET CAB Member (NCAB)

Community Advisory Boards (CABs)

The research mission of the HIVNET thrives on active participation by the communities involved in the studies. The HIVNET has included community members in all phases of the research process. This has helped to foster trust and mutual understanding of research issues, and to ensure that the research strategies and approaches respect the values and cultural and ethnic differences among participants.

Each HIVNET site in the United States has established a Community Advisory Board(CAB) to provide community input into study design and local procedures. Some CAB members are study participants drawn from the communities who volunteer to participate in research, for example, gay and bisexual men, injection drug users, and women at heterosexual risk. Many have considerable scientific sophistication or relevant professional training to contribute. Other CAB members may include community activists and/or professionals associated with HIV/AIDS prevention and services delivery.

Each of the local CABs appoints a representative to serve on the HIVNET NCAB that meets monthly by conference calls.

The role of CABs is:

to assist in the planning, development, and implementation of the HIVNET research;
to assess community impact and make sure community concerns are considered; and
to serve as a voice for the community and study participants.

The HIVNET Scientific Steering Group, Scientific Direction Working Groups, and Protocol Teams each include at least one CAB member, appointed by the National CAB or the Protocol Team chair. CAB representatives are involved in all facets of the HIVNET governance, and are closely involved in the development of new research studies and in the review of information from ongoing studies. As a result, CABs contribute to priority setting (Steering and Science Direction Groups), study design (Protocol Teams), recruitment and retention procedures and the development and implementation of the local and national community education initiative. CAB representatives also serve as liaisons to the community for information exchange about the HIVNET studies.

Mission: HIVNET National CAB

The mission of the National HIVNET CAB Network is:

to formulate recommendations and strategies regarding the HIVNET scientific agenda, and to assess community impact and assure that community concerns are considered.
to serve as a voice for the community and study participants
to participate in the development and implementation of clinical and research studies
to enhance communication and coordination between local CABs
to assure communication and coordination among community members serving on various working groups.

Job Description: National HIVNET CAB Member Members of the National CAB Network are expected to:

participate in regular monthly CAB conference calls and attend national meetings
share information from national calls and meetings with your local CAB site
seek input from their respective local site on issues discussed by the National CAB Network
assure an alternate participates on your behalf if you are unable to attend a monthly meeting
serve on a working group or identify other community representatives who will serve on working groups; serve as a communication link between representatives from the site who serve on working groups and the National CAB Network
make a one-year commitment to serving on the National CAB Network.

NCAB Organizational Structure

Representation: The National CAB Network includes one representative from each domestic HIVNET site. In cases where a research site has multiple locations or CABS, each location can be represented. Membership should also include one Linking Communities and Scientists Together (Project LinCS) and one AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Group (AVEG) national CAB representative. International sites with CABs are also welcome to participate. Other at-large community members may be invited as members from time to time.

Each local site that is represented should designate a primary representative and an alternate representative. Both are welcome to participate in calls and meetings.

The National CAB Network should reflect the diversity of the HIVNET study cohorts, including culture, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and behavioral risk.

Leadership: The National CAB Network will select a facilitator or co-facilitators to convene and set the agenda for regular meetings. The facilitator(s) is appointed for one year. To the extent possible, opinions and policy directives of the National CAB Network should be discussed and approved at regular meetings. If pressing business faces the National CAB Network and a special meeting cannot be scheduled, the facilitator(s) may consult as appropriate with other CAB members and speak for the National CAB Network. Such actions or decisions should be reported at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Decisions: To the extent possible, decisions should be made by informal consensus. If informal consensus cannot be reached, the participants on the call or at the meeting will vote, with one vote allowed per representative. The alternate representative only votes in the absence of the primary representative.

Frequency of meetings: The National CAB Network generally meets monthly by conference call and at occasional national meetings. Special meetings may be scheduled as needed, and regular meetings may be canceled or rescheduled. The regular meeting time for the conference calls is at 5:00 pm Eastern time on the third Thursday of each month. Meeting announcements and other materials are communicated by e-mail or fax. Members without e-mail or fax access should ask their site coordinator to forward messages.

Staffing: The National CAB Network is staffed by Abt Associates Inc under contract with the National Institue of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Staffing responsibilities generally include arranging and paying for conference calls, distributing agendas and other written materials, and preparing summaries of meetings for approval by the National CAB Network.

If you are interested in getting connected to a CAB, or would like additional information about CABs, contact one of the HIVNET community educators at a site nearest you. Click here for the HIVNET contact list.

Related Websites

Adult Clinical Trials Group CCG
http://aactg.s-3.com/ccginfo.htm

Minnesota AIDS Clinical Trials Unit
http://www.lamp.med.umn.edu/actu/cab.html

Linking Scientist and Communities Together (Project LinCS)
under development

Women's Interagency HIV Study
http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~wihs/sf/cab.html

Terry Beirn Community Programs For Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA)
http://www.cpcra.org

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
http://www.avac.org/

Center for AIDS Prevention Studies
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/

Capitol Area Vaccine Effort
http://aidsvaccine.org/