The HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis Project: implications for federal HIV prevention policy.

Scientific research can strongly influence programs and policies at the local, state, and federal level. In this article we review implications for federal public health policy from the HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis Project, a project that integrates data from individual intervention studies to estimate the influence of HIV risk reduction interventions on social, behavioral, and community changes. We note several important policy changes that have occurred in HIV research and program development as a result of this project. We also describe the project's role in guiding future funding decisions.