Thursday, October 30, 2025 10/30/2025

Leveraging Social Networks to Promote PrEP among Young Men

Award Number: K23MH138254
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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Leveraging Social Networks to Promote PrEP among Young Men - Youth and young adults have elevated rates of HIV incidence, particularly young men (ages 16-29). HIV incidence in young men is in part driven by low uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) due to multilevel barriers. In my prior work, I led a community-driven media campaign entitled “PrEPárate” (“Be PrEPared”) which promoted PrEP information and a website with affordable options to access PrEP. The campaign was associated with increased PrEP awareness and use among insured adults but had limited reach to young men with barriers to PrEP access. In this K23 career development award, I propose to develop, pilot, and evaluate a multilevel intervention that combines a refined media campaign and peer-based strategy, informed by social network analysis. For youth and young adults, social networks of peers and family are especially influential in decision making and present an opportunity to promote PrEP. Through this award, I will receive new training and mentored experience in (1) social network analysis, (2) multilevel intervention development, and (3) implementation science. This K23 will lay the groundwork for an R01 application to conduct a randomized controlled trial studying the effectiveness of a multilevel intervention to increase PrEP use among young men. This proposal will advance understanding of factors that shape young men’s social networks and also will help identify optimal strategies to promote PrEP among young men. Through this training, I will gain the skills required to transition to independence as an investigator with expertise in interventions to improve preventive health among youth and young adults.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $186,840 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO	5801 S ELLIS AVE	CHICAGO	IL	60637	COOK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	8/26/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$186,840
														Subtotal = $186,840

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $186,840 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO	5801 S ELLIS AVE	CHICAGO	IL	60637	COOK	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	8/12/2024	NEW	$186,840
														Subtotal = $186,840

Grand Total All Awards = $373,680

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Leveraging Social Networks to Promote PrEP among Young Men

Award Number: K23MH138254

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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