Deadline: 29-Nov-2024

The International AIDS Society (IAS) invites you to submit a proposal to implement a six-month innovation project (from April to October 2025) that addresses a need for young people living with and affected by HIV.

The IAS will support a new cohort of five Young Leaders with seed grants to scale up HIV-related innovation projects that respond to a locally defined need. Each Young Leader must be affiliated with and logistically supported by an organization working in HIV and/or sexual and reproductive health and rights or related areas.

Funding Information

• Amount: Up to USD 10,000

Programme benefits

• As part of the Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme, they will support selected Young Leaders with a tailored capacity-building curriculum through a series of workshops on monitoring and evaluation, reporting and communications delivered through the Youth Hub. They will provide Young Leaders with networking opportunities for current, as well as future, projects.
  • Scholarship to attend IAS 2025 
    • During the programme, selected Young Leaders will have the opportunity to attend IAS 2025, the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science, Kigali, Rwanda, from 13 to 17 July 2025. The IAS will cover registration costs, as well as travel costs, accommodation costs and per diems.
  • Inclusion in the IAS 2025 Young Leaders Programme 
    • The Young Leaders Programme is offered at the International AIDS Conference and IAS Conference on HIV Science to ensure that the voices of young people living with HIV, young activists and young researchers are heard at international meetings. The dedicated programme provides young people with opportunities to strengthen their research and advocacy skills to support capacity building. Those selected for the Youth Hub Seed Grant Programme will have the opportunity to participate in the IAS 2025 Young Leaders Programme.
  • One-to-one mentoring in monitoring, evaluation and learning 
    • Selected Young Leaders will be supported by a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) consultant to build their MEL capacity and capture key developments in their projects and professional growth. The consultant will host one-to-one calls with each Young Leader and their mentor to ascertain each Young Leader’s specific needs and tailor support accordingly. The consultant will also hold two workshops to support the whole cohort in meeting grant reporting requirements. Host organization mentors will also play a strong supporting role in the Young Leader’s MEL growth.
  • Public speaking training 
    • They believe that effective communication is a key component of leadership. Selected Young Leaders will have at least one public speaking opportunity during their grant period. They understand that public speaking can be nervewracking, so they provide training and mentorship to support confident public speaking and effective project promotion
  • Exclusive change maker networking opportunities 
    • Selected Young Leaders will join a community of over 700 IAS change makers – HIV researchers, advocates, healthcare providers and others – who are selected to drive an evidence-based HIV response that puts people first. Young Leaders will have access to an exclusive range of networking and capacity-building opportunities to enhance their skills.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Young Leader must:
  • Be connected to an organization that is willing and able to provide mentorship and logistical support for the proposed Young Leader’s project
  • Be between 18 and 30 years old (and ideally under 25)
  • Agree to be featured in IAS digital media
  • Be willing to attend IAS 2025 from 13 to 17 July 2025
• The host organization must:
  • Be a registered charitable organization and willing to undergo additional eligibility checks
  • Be able and willing to provide a point of contact who will actively mentor the selected applicant as a Young Leader
  • Be able and willing to logistically support its Young Leader in the day-to-day aspects of the implementation of its innovation project
  • Be able and willing to report and communicate with the IAS in English
  • Be able and willing to receive, as well as manage, all funds related to the seed grant

For more information, visit IAS.