CFAR

Name

CFAR

Legal name

San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD CFAR), University of California San Diego

Website

https://cfar.ucsd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HIV Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

Keywords

• HIV research services
• Virology core services
• Biostatistics modeling support
• Research grant programs
• Translational research services

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NIH P30 Grant Funding: Primary funding from NIH Center for AIDS Research P30 grant (P30 AI036214) providing approximately $15 million renewal grant. The grant supports core services, developmental grants, and operational costs across multiple NIH institutes including NIAID, NCI, NICHD, NIDCR, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, NIA, NIDDK, NIGMS, NIMHD, FIC, and OAR.
2. Developmental and Pilot Grants: Internal grant programs including Developmental Grants, PROPEL Grants, Next Generation Grants (up to $10,000 for postdoctoral fellows), International Pilot grants, and Community Research Kick Start Grants distributed to member institution researchers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD CFAR) is an NIH-funded P30 research consortium at UC San Diego that delivers specialized core laboratory, clinical, biostatistical, and sociobehavioral science services supporting HIV research across member institutions. It operates multiple service cores (Translational Virology, Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Biostatistics and Modeling, Clinical Investigation, Health Equity Sociobehavioral Science, Advanced Technology, International, Developmental, Administrative, Value-added) and distributes internal grants (Developmental, PROPEL, Next Generation, Community Research Kick Start, Clinical Kick Start) along with grant writing support and training programs to HIV investigators.

Product overview

The San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD CFAR) is an NIH-funded P30 program (P30 AI036214) that operates as a multi-institutional research support consortium rather than a single product. The organization provides a coordinated suite of core laboratory services organized around specialized functional areas: Translational Virology, Biostatistics and Modeling, Clinical Investigation, Developmental Support, Health Equity Sociobehavioral Science, Advanced Technology, Molecular and Cellular Immunology (MCI), International, Administrative, and Value-added Cores. These cores collectively support basic, clinical, behavioral and translational HIV research across member institutions including UC San Diego, Scripps Research, and San Diego State University. Beyond laboratory services, CFAR operates grant programs (Developmental, PROPEL, Next Generation, Community Research Kick Start, Clinical Kick Start), professional development services (Organized Writing Leagues, O-K Review, career development), educational resources (seminars, training videos, manuscript tools), and community-focused research programs like the Last Gift Study.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Translational Virology Core

Quantifiable outcome

• Multi-institutional collaboration model connecting UCSD, SDSU, Scripps Research, VA San Diego, and La Jolla Institute for Immunology
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Scripps ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partner in Molecular and Cellular Immunology Core (MCI). Co-directors include Dr. Dennis Burton (Scripps Research) and Dr. David Looney (UC San Diego). MCI Core provides laboratory locations at Scripps Research. Bryan Briney serves as Associate Director.
• VA San Diego Healthcare SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023MCI Core laboratory location providing BSL 2+ facility for processing biohazardous HIV-infected samples in sorting and live cell preparation for -omics studies.
• La Jolla Institute for ImmunologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partner in MCI Core leadership with Dr. Jennifer Dan serving as Leadership Trainee. Contributes expertise in immunology research.
• San Diego State University (SDSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020Joined SD CFAR as new member institution in June 2020 after eight-month strategic planning process led by Dr. Eileen Pitpitan. Serves as academic home to behavioral, prevention and intervention scientists conducting HIV research addressing disparities in HIV prevention and care continuum.
• AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFAR Translational Virology Core serves the ACTG Virology Specialty Laboratory. Dr. Gianella serves as director of the ACTG Virology Specialty Laboratory and serves on clinical trial protocol teams.
• AntiViral Research Center (AVRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC San Diego center served by CFAR Translational Virology Core. Dr. Smith and Dr. Gianella work at the AVRC along with their campus laboratories.
• HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFAR Translational Virology Core Co-Directs the NeuroVirology and Biology Core at the HNRC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• amfAR (Foundation for AIDS Research): amfAR is a leading nonprofit organization funding HIV/AIDS research globally. Like CFAR, it supports HIV cure, prevention, and treatment research, but functions primarily as a grantmaking foundation rather than providing core laboratory services to investigators.
• Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center: Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University is a leading HIV research institute focused on HIV prevention, treatment, and cure research. It conducts biomedical HIV research similar to CFAR's basic and translational virology work.
• Gladstone Institutes: Gladstone Institutes at UCSF conducts HIV cure research, particularly through its Virology and Immunology divisions. It operates as a multi-program biomedical research institute with overlapping HIV research focus and academic medical center affiliation similar to CFAR.
• IAVI (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative): IAVI is a global nonprofit research organization developing vaccines and antibodies for HIV and other infectious diseases. It shares CFAR's HIV research mission and operates as a multi-institutional research consortium with global partnerships.
• La Jolla Institute for Immunology: La Jolla Institute for Immunology is a partner of CFAR and conducts immunology research relevant to HIV, infectious diseases, and vaccines. It is geographically co-located and shares faculty/research leadership with CFAR's MCI Core.
• ACTG (AIDS Clinical Trials Group): ACTG is the world's largest HIV clinical trials network. CFAR's Translational Virology Core serves as the ACTG Virology Specialty Laboratory, making ACTG both a partner and structural peer in HIV clinical research infrastructure.
• HVTN (HIV Vaccine Trials Network): HVTN is an international HIV vaccine clinical trials network headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Like CFAR, it supports HIV prevention research infrastructure, with overlapping investigator pools and NIH co-funding relationships.
• Scripps Research: Scripps Research is a CFAR partner institution with deep immunology and HIV research capabilities. Co-Director Dennis Burton leads antibody research there, and Scripps infrastructure is integrated into CFAR's MCI Core, making it both a collaborator and structural peer.

Broad incumbents

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (HIV research): Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center conducts significant HIV cure and vaccine research alongside broader oncology work. It is a larger, more established research institution with overlapping HIV research capabilities including the defeatHIV program.

Emerging players

• Wistar Institute: Wistar Institute is an independent biomedical research institute with HIV vaccine and immunology programs. It functions as a peer research organization focused on infectious disease and immunology, similar to CFAR's translational virology focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCl1sBZDwzyv_6ZDRvkmBMrg
• TikToktiktok.com/@sdcfar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-center-fro-aids-research-cfar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CFAR