Population and Public Health Approaches to HIV/AIDS Study Section – PPAH
NOTE: Starts with the October 2026 Council round submission dates (Cycle I due dates). This study section was evaluated as part of CSR’s ENQUIRE process to align study sections with advances in science. Learn more about ENQUIRE.
Population and Public Health Approaches to HIV/AIDS (PPAH) reviews applications that propose health services, health policy or epidemiological studies at the community or population level that examine the transmission, screening, testing, access, prevention, or treatment of HIV/AIDS. Studies employ a variety of methods, including social epidemiology, implementation science, clinical trials, network analysis, predictive analytics and community-involved designs. Studies can also focus on co-morbidities/ syndemics (e.g., mental health, substance use, cancers, cardiovascular disease, sexually transmitted infections, cognition, etc.) experienced by people living with HIV, and understanding factors related to or proposing to reduce health disparities. Studies at the individual or small group level that are designed to prevent, treat, or reduce individual behavioral risk are reviewed elsewhere. Studies focusing on biological/genetic processes or clinical epidemiology are also reviewed elsewhere.
Review Dates
Topics
- Studies examining health services, community, and structural factors that affect screening, testing, and access to and quality of care of those at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS.
- Epidemiologic studies of the incidence, prevalence, transmission, progression, prevention and treatment of HIV infection, including health disparities at the community, national, or international level.
- Dissemination and implementation science studies of HIV/AIDS-related prevention, screening, and treatment interventions.
- Studies examining models combining HIV and comorbidity care, i.e. for substance use, mental health, other noncommunicable diseases, or related infectious diseases in populations and communities.
- The development and testing of behavioral biostatistical methods to examine HIV infection, transmission, risk factors, disease progression and monitoring. Such methods include social network analysis, phylodynamic tracking, mathematical modeling, big data, and simulation/computational approaches
Shared Interests and Overlaps (HIV/AIDS):
There are shared interests between PPAH and HIV/AIDS Intra- and Inter-personal Determinants and Behavioral Interventions (HIBI) in studies of HIV prevention and care. Applications that involve studies of interventions at the community or population level or larger scale implementation science studies are reviewed in PPAH. Applications addressing evaluations of HIV prevention or HIV care continuum interventions at the individual level, clinic-based studies of HIV prevention or HIV care continuum interventions at the individual level, or developmental and/or small-scale implementation science studies to establish appropriate measures and/or care at the individual level are reviewed in HIBI. Studies with a combination of both community and individual level interventions are assigned based on the principal outcomes of the proposed research.
There are shared interests between PPAH and HIV Comorbidities and Clinical Studies (HCCS) in epidemiological or clinical studies studying the impact of HIV infection on health. Epidemiological studies that focus on the social, behavioral, or economic, impact of HIV/AIDS on communities or populations are reviewed in PPAH. Epidemiological studies employing biological assays and/or focusing on biological effects or outcomes may be reviewed in HCCS.
There are shared interests between PPAH and HIV Coinfections and HIV Associated Cancers Study Section (HCAC) in HIV co-infections and HIV associated cancers in human populations. Applications that employ behavioral measures and/or behavioral outcomes are reviewed in PPAH. Applications that involve basic biological/molecular studies, employ biological assays, and/or focus on biological outcomes may be reviewed in HCAC.
Shared Interests and Overlaps (Non-AIDS):
The Epidemiology and Population Health Review Branch reviews epidemiologic and demographic research covering a range of diseases and health conditions in large populations.
The Clinical Care and Health Interventions Review Branch reviews applications that focus on the adoption of health promoting behaviors to reduce health risks, prevention of the onset of related health problems, treatment at the individual or small group level, and clinical care and management of patients in general care settings and institutional and inpatient settings.
The Health Services and Systems Review Branch reviews applications that focus on clinical, community, and population research studies which examine the sociocultural, economic, environmental, and infrastructure factors that influence the delivery of health care, patient outcomes, population health, and health policies.
The Social and Community Influences Across the Lifecourse Review Branch reviews applications that examine the social, interpersonal, community, and cultural influences on health and development across the lifespan.
