Building Community-Academic Research Partnerships to End the HIV Epidemic in Arizona: Findings to Inform Next Steps

In 2022, Arizona saw an unprecedented 20% increase in new HIV infections and viral suppression rates of 61.8% among people with HIV. Existing local efforts to address HIV should be complemented with research to identify gaps and approaches to improve outcomes. Using CBPR as a guiding framework, we explored the potential for community-academic HIV research collaborations by hosting a Community-Academic HIV Research Partnership Series. Attendance across five workshop sessions totaled 123 attendees, with representation from nonprofit community-based organizations, clinic settings, city and state government, and the university. Meeting content was guided by the following broad ideas: (a) experiences and perceptions of research; (b) successful models of community-academic research partnerships; and (c) local HIV research needs. Thematic analysis of transcribed notes identified the following overall themes and selected parenthetical subthemes: Experiences and Perceptions of Research (Responsibilities of Research and Researchers, Benefits and Barriers of Research, and Required Knowledge for Researchers); Successful Community-Academic Research Partnerships (Mechanisms to Facilitate Successful Research Partnerships); and HIV Research Needs in Arizona. Communication, trust, transparency, cultural humility, mutual benefit, diversity and inclusivity, and genuine relationship-building were regarded by community attendees as priorities for community-academic partnerships. These findings have been instructive in cultivating relationships and laying the groundwork for a formal structure for community-academic HIV and equity research partnerships. Building on early HIV/AIDS activism that set the stage for advancements in clinical, social and behavioral research, we aim to expand local collaborative efforts that will maximize the expertise of communities and researchers to effectively end the HIV epidemic.