Future directions and emerging issues in technology transfer between HIV prevention researchers and community-based service providers.

The public health objective of preventing new HIV infections can be achieved only through effective information exchange among service providers, researchers, and policymakers. The potential for successful transfer of research-based HIV prevention technology to service providers will be enhanced if investigators take into account in the research planning stage how interventions will be used in the field, seek early input from community members and service providers, test variations of interventions that may increase their practicality in applied settings, and determine the cost and effectiveness of intervention delivery. Strategies are needed to ensure that the experiences of service providers help to inform the HIV prevention research agenda, improve service organization infrastructure and capacity development, and facilitate organizational networking so that providers can use new-generation HIV prevention interventions. Policies are needed to facilitate the development of intervention packages, training, and ongoing technical assistance for service providers in implementing effective HIV prevention interventions.