CDC Finalizes New STI Research Consortium

Dear Partners in Prevention,

I am excited to share that CDC has awarded funding to three organizations to form Sexually Transmitted Infections Impact Research Consortium (STIIRC), which will conduct studies to reverse persistent, troubling trends in reported cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

We’re pleased to share that following organizations will comprise the consortium:

• University of Alabama Birmingham
• University of Washington
• Vysnova Partners

This mixture of esteemed organizations will undertake clinical trials and implementation science research, both aimed at increasing population-focused impact and population-level health equity.

As previously shared, research projects will vary in scope and scale and will fall into the following four broad areas: 1.) service delivery research: prevention content; 2.) service delivery research: prevention methods; 3.) field-based prevention research; and 4.) research to develop, test, and implement STI diagnostic tools to increase the proportion of people tested and diagnosed, if they have an infection.

CDC’s Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP) is committed to supporting research to (a) increase the population-level impact of STI prevention and control through public health programs and (b) improve health equity for populations disproportionately affected by STIs. This consortium–made possible by an investment from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021–is an exciting step to fulfilling that commitment and many of the challenges presented to our field in the STI National Strategic Plan.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to sharing more from this groups’ work in the coming months.

/Leandro Mena/

Leandro Mena, MD, MPH
Director, Division of STD Prevention
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention