The mission of the BEAT-HIV Collaboratory is to define the most effective way to combine immunotherapy regimens to cure HIV.

Our central hypothesis is that through a better understanding of HIV latent reservoirs and reactivation, HIV functional cures will be achieved by combination immunotherapy inclusive of several arms of the immune response: innate, humoral and T cells.

Our mission will be supported by a structure that will pursue three initial research focus areas with support from four scientific research support groups and the Community Engagement team and significant input from our Community Advisory Board.

Curing HIV infection is one of the highest priorities of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This funding opportunity is part of the NIH commitment to reallocate additional funds in support of HIV cure research. The goal of the Martin Delaney Collaboratory program is to accelerate progress towards developing strategies to achieve either eradication of HIV infection from the body or a functional cure, as defined by sustained viral remission following cessation of antiretroviral therapy. Funded projects will be expected to expand the knowledge base on HIV latency and persistence in HIV-infected persons treated with suppressive antiretroviral drug regimens, design and evaluate innovative cure strategies, and translate findings to the clinical setting. These goals will be achieved through dynamic, collaborative research programs with synergistic areas of scientific focus spanning basic, translational, and clinical research. Rapid translation of basic research discoveries into clinical applications will be facilitated by partnerships among academia, government, the private sector, and community stakeholders.

The Martin Delaney Collaboratory program was originally established by NIAID in partnership with NIMH in fiscal year 2011, and is now being expanded through open competition.

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