To effectively interconnect community and social and behavioral science with research and operations of the Tennessee Center for AIDS Research (CFAR).

Despite decades of research having created biomedical tools capable of ending the HIV epidemic, we have fallen short of this goal. Preventing new HIV acquisitions and improving the health and lives of people with HIV will only be possible with community engagement, community influence, community capacity-building, and community partnership that is anchored in the robust application of social and behavioral science. We define community as knowledge users, knowledge holders, and knowledge beneficiaries of HIV research. To this end, the Tennessee CFAR aspires to create an organizational culture that meaningfully engages the community with all CFAR investigators and programs. Our aspiration is for community to be actively involved in all aspects of the research process. The Tennessee CFAR demonstrates commitment to this vision by devoting resources, financing, leadership, and research to support community engagement and social behavioral sciences.