Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that HIV research (1) addresses specific knowledge gaps around HIV and women, and (2) supports the full participation and meaningful involvement of women.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2017/18, NIHR has spent £35,679,615 on HIV research and support thereof. There are no current plans to assess the HIV portfolio specifically, but NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including HIV.

NIHR actively and openly support patient and public involvement and engagement in research. Applicants are required to provide additional guidance to ensure that there is an explanation of the relevance and importance of the study from the patient/public perspective. In Autumn 2022, the NIHR published the EDI Strategy 2022-2027, available in an online-only format, which sets out how NIHR will become a more inclusive funder of research and widen access to participation. The strategy refers to guidance produced from the NIHR INCLUDE project, also available in an online-only format, which aims to improve the inclusion of under-served groups, for example those with lower representation in research and clinical trials than would be expected, such as women.