FAQs
GENERAL
1) What is the OHTN?
2) What does the OHTN do?
3) How is the OHTN governed?
4) What is the OHTN network?
5) How can the OHTN improve the lives of people with HIV?
6) How does the OHTN benefit AIDS Service Organizations?
7) How does the OHTN help health service providers?
8) How does the OHTN inform decision makers?
GRANT FUNDING
9) What does the OHTN fund?
10) Who is eligible for funding?
11) How can I apply for funding?
12) When is the next application deadline?
13) What is the selection process?
CONFERENCE
14) What is the research conference?
15) When is the next conference?
16) How do I register for the conference?
17) How do I submit an abstract or a poster for the conference?
18) Where can I learn more about past conferences?
RESEARCH
19) What research does the OHTN fund?
20) Does the OHTN conduct research?
21) What findings has OHTN funded research produced?
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
22) What is knowledge exchange?
23) Why is it important?
24) How does the OHTN promote it?
25) How can the OHTN help my organization use HIV research?
PROGRAMS
26) What is the research network?
27) What is community-based research?
28) How does housing affect HIV and health?
29) What is prevention research?
30) What is the health care provider network?
31) What is OCASE?
32) What is OCHART?
1) What is the OHTN?
The Ontario HIV Treatment Network is an independently incorporated, not-for-profit organization funded by the
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
2) What does the OHTN do?
The OHTN promotes excellence and innovation in HIV treatment, research, education and prevention in Ontario to:
- Improve the health and well-being of people with HIV
- Contribute to HIV prevention efforts
- Promote knowledge exchange among all HIV stakeholders
- Ensure value for resources
3) How is the OHTN governed?
The OHTN is governed by a
Board of Directors elected from the following stakeholder groups:
- People living with HIV
- Primary Care Physicians Groups
- Ontario HIV Outpatient Clinic Directors and Coordinators
- Canadian Association for HIV Research Ontario
4) What is the OHTN network?
The OHTN is a collaborative network of:
- Researchers
- People living with HIV
- AIDS Service Organizations
- Decision makers from government and community agencies
- Health service providers
5) How can the OHTN improve the lives of people with HIV?
The OHTN funds
research with real-life impact: research that has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with HIV. We support community-based research to ensure that people with HIV contribute to every stage of the research process from the first planning stage. We support the development of service provider treatment guidelines, best practices and toolkits. We share HIV-related information with health care professionals and help medical students learn more about HIV-related issues.
6) How does the OHTN benefit AIDS Service Organizations?
The OHTN supports
AIDS Service Organizations by:
- Providing information on the latest research evidence
- Offering a Rapid Response Service for quick literature reviews of HIV-related research topics
- Conducting skills building workshops to help build capacity and apply research evidence to practice
- Supporting the development of best practices
- Funding research to help improve community-based programs and services
- Supporting their involvement in community-based research to help them build partnerships with academic researchers
- Developing data and information systems to help them monitor and improve their programs and services
7) How does the OHTN help health service providers?
The OHTN supports health service providers by:
8) How does the OHTN inform decision makers?
The OHTN shares research findings with policy makers to identify the implications for policies and programs through:
We also administrate the reporting tools (OCASE and OCHART) AIDS Service Organizations use to track client needs and services and meet federal and provincial reporting requirements.
9) What does the OHTN fund?
The OHTN supports
impact focused HIV research conducted by:
- Researchers
- Students
- Medical residents
- Research centres
- Community groups
- AIDS Service Organizations
- Universities
- Hospitals
10) Who is eligible for funding?
All eligible applicants must be residents of Ontario and have the support of a recognized sponsor agency incorporated in Ontario. See our
Funding Guidelines for more details.
11) How can I apply for funding?
Application criteria vary per grant. See our
Available Funding and
Funding Guidelines for more details.
12) When is the next application deadline?
Application deadlines vary per grant. See our
Available Funding for more details.
13) What is the selection process?
All grants are reviewed by our
Scientific Review Committee and/or undergo a rigorous
peer review process. See our
Research Network section for more information on our selection process.
OHTN Annual Research Conference
14) What is the research conference?
The OHTN Research Conference showcases the most up-to-date advances in the following tracks of research:
- Basic science
- Clinical science
- Epidemiological science
- Socio-behavioural science
- Health services research
- Community-based research
The conference brings together and promotes knowledge exchange among:
- People living with HIV
- Researchers
- Policymakers
- Community groups
- Health service providers
15) When is the next conference?
The conference is held
annually in November.
16) How do I register for the conference?
Registration for the annual conference generally opens in spring/summer. See our
Conference Sitefor more information.
17) How do I submit an abstract or a poster for the conference?
The OHTN invites abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations on HIV research and is particularly interested in abstracts that discuss research implications for policy or practice. Abstract submission opens annually in psrinf, and abstracts must be submitted online.
18) Where can I learn more about past conferences?
For information on past conferences including detailed schedules, posters, abstracts and videos of keynote speakers, please visit our
Conference Archive.
19) What research does the OHTN fund?
The OHTN funds HIV research in the following scientific tracks:
- Basic science
- Clinical science
- Epidemiological science
- Socio-behavioural science
- Health services research
- Community-based research
Specific areas of research include:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Vaccines
- Treatment and care
- Prevention
- Determinants of health
- Clinical outcomes
- Health services
- Behavioural interventions
- Neuropathogenesis
- Transmission
- HCV co-infection
20) Does the OHTN conduct research?
In addition to our own
research studies, the the OHTN conducts research in house through the
OHTN Cohort Study.
21) What findings has OHTN funded research produced?
See our database of
research findings for more detailed information.
22) What is knowledge exchange?
Knowledge exchange is the practice of creating change through the collection, evaluation and sharing of information. At the OHTN, we focus on:
- Knowledge translation as a synthesis of scientific findings into more accessible language and presented in a format that will speak directly to its intended audience, whether it be policy makers, community groups, health care providers or people living with HIV
- Knowledge exchange as a process of collaborative problem solving among researchers, decision makers and the people with and affected by HIV
Knowledge translation and exchange done well is collaborative solving at its best. It puts the people affected by a problem together with those who have expertise, ability and influence to resolve it. Together we work towards arriving at and implementing a viable solution.
23) Why is it important?
Effective knowledge exchange helps ensure that solutions are adopted by the people affected by the problem. Without it, valuable solutions may be left sitting in a report or on a shelf.
24) How does the OHTN promote it?
The OHTN brings people together to design, conduct, disseminate, implement and evaluate research in a
variety of ways including:
- Workshops
- Conferences
- Think tanks
- Community-based networks
- Health care provider networks
- Research networks
25) How can the OHTN help my organization use HIV research?
The OHTN offers
KTE events for community-based AIDS service organizations in Ontario to conduct research. We also offer a
Rapid Response Service to conduct literature reviews on an HIV-related research topic.
26) What is the research network?
The
research network provides the OHTN with perspective and advice on the prioritization, implementation, and monitoring of its strategic investments in research.
27) What is community-based research?
Community-based Research brings researchers together with members of the community to:
- Identify the issues
- Collect, analyze and interpret the data
- Decide how to use the results to:
- Inform policy
- Change practice
- Improve conditions in the community
28) How does housing affect HIV and health?
Housing is a basic need that, if fulfilled, may slow disease progression and improve quality of life. It also provides a stable location from which people with HIV can access health and social services.
29) What is prevention research?
Prevention research aims to promote the well-being of individuals and communities through the reduction of HIV transmission. HIV research in Ontario has been largely focused on treatment, care and cure. Comparatively little research has been done on the development and evaluation of effective interventions to prevent HIV tranmission.
To address this gap, governments, community groups and the OHTN have made HIV prevention research a priority area of study.
30) What is the health care provider network?
The Health Care Provider Network team is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that support efforts in the treatment and care of people with HIV. The OHTN encourages an interdisciplinary approach to HIV treatment and engages all members of the health care team to help improve the lives of people living with HIV in Ontario and beyond.
31) What is OCASE?
The
Ontario Community-Based AIDS Services and Evaluation (OCASE) database project is an AIDS Bureau initiative that provides a case management system for AIDS service organizations in Ontario. OCASE allows AIDS service organizations to:
- Manage clients, programs and agencies as efficiently and effectively as possible
- Provide better service to people with HIV
32) What is OCHART?
The
Ontario Community HIV/AIDS Reporting Tool (OCHART) captures the activities of each AIDS Service Organization funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. OCHART allows AIDS service organizations to track the following types of activities:
- Education
- Outreach
- Community development
- Support Services
- Volunteer Acivities
OCHART also helps streamline the reporting process for federal and provincial funding.
DID YOU
KNOW
More than 50% of the OHTN Cohort Study Governance Committee is made up of people living with HIV.