The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund dba TUHSC Site Consortium - Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) Operations and Collaborations Center (UM2 Clinical Tri

ABSTRACT Tulane University Adolescent Medicine The Tulane University Adolescent Medicine (TUAM) Consortium consists of community members, academic institutions, government agencies, clinics, and community-based organizations (CBOs), that provide services to adolescents at risk for or living with HIV. With a long history of successful collaborations with CBOs, agencies

and community members throughout New Orleans, TUAM plans to engage Consortium members with an option to join with site leadership in monthly steering committee meetings to directly link the Consortium to substantive research feasibility and ethics discussions as well as a way of making contributions to the decision-

making process. Direct community representation in research planning has been integral to our research conduct. For instance, as part of the consortium, the community advisory board (CAB) consisting of mostly sexual and gender diverse youth of color, provides feedback on research protocols, assists in planning

research processes, represents the site in research Network committees, and is active in community outreach planning and participation. Tulane's solid research infrastructure facilitates and encourages the simultaneous implementation of multiple investigational new drug (IND) and biobehavioral protocols without becoming

overwhelming. By interest and necessity, TUAM has designed and executed highly adaptive and diverse approaches to recruiting and retaining youth in our research studies. Current recruitment and retention efforts focus on social media-based approaches, but direct outreach in non-traditional settings will increase once

again as conditions allow. In New Orleans, creating events that appeal to young people has been an organizing force for our consortium members; a way for collaborators to make their organization and projects known; a way for researchers to be visible as community members; and a way to give back to our participants.

As one of the consortia within the Operations and Collaborations Center, the TUAM Consortium plans to: (1) Conduct research projects that have been identified by the Executive Committee and Scientific Leadership Committee; (2) Participate in the development of trials, engaging in ongoing research planning and the

development of implementation strategies that build on Consortium strengths; (3) Continue to develop multiple and varied recruitment and retention strategies that resonate with youth; (4) Implement complex ATN research protocols employing highly trained staff and an efficient research infrastructure that engages Consortium sites

for research, advocacy and guidance; (5) Provide sufficient laboratory capacity to process samples and effective research pharmacy support; and finally (6) Establish a Consortium leadership model that ensures meaningful and sustained Consortium member engagement.