Program seeks Council approval for an initiative titled “User-Based Design to Aid in Contraceptive Development by Small Business”. Despite the paradigm shifting contraceptive technologies being developed via NICHD funding and others, nearly all contraception development programs are moving forward without the aid of end-user input. End-user behaviors regarding potential contraceptives are a tool to better understand the preferred user characteristics of novel contraceptive products. While NICHD has a robust portfolio focusing on factors affecting contraceptive use and non-use of marketed products, the institute is not currently supporting studies designed to feedback directly into the contraceptive development projects in the product pipeline.
The goal of this initiative is to enable small business to execute quality research to study/identify characteristics that inform acceptability and desirability of potential end-users of novel contraceptive products currently in development. This information is critical to allow for product developers to optimize the parameters of their products/devices that factor into contraceptive decision making of eventual end users and would be of interest to the field at large where similar products are under development.
This proposed concept aligns with Themes 2 (Reproductive Health) and 5 (Safe and Effective Devices) of the NICHD Strategic Plan.
While this initiative is not specific to the development of multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs), the inclusion of grants supporting user-based design of MPTs is encouraged. These grants would address the overarching HIV/AIDS priority of a) reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS infections.
Program Contact
Travis Kent
Contraception Research Branch (CRB)
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