The Annual Course on Principles of STD and HIV Research was first held in 1993 with the aim of offering an intensive overview of the skills needed to pursue a research career in the field of STD. Since then, more than 1500 participants have attended. On average, participants from 25 different countries have participated each year. We expect between 100-150 participants at the 2012 course. The course is funded by the National Institutes of Health, industry sponsors,and is co-sponsored by the Centers for AIDS Research. The course is being offered in a distance learning format for domestic and international students for the first time in 2012.