Deadline: 30-Sep-2025
The International AIDS Society has launched its CIPHER Research Grant Programme to address research gaps in paediatric and adolescent HIV in countries with limited resources for HIV research.
The programme focuses on research capacity building, cultivating a diverse and talented cohort of professionals who will drive innovation and progress in this field, with the aim of supporting research that can inform policy change and ensure better outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents living with and affected by HIV, while providing investigators with experience needed to compete for larger funding.
The CIPHER Research Grant Programme awards research grants of up to USD 140,000 over two years, enabling recipients to become principal investigators for the first time. The programme prioritizes applications that address critical gaps in paediatric and adolescent HIV and have the potential to inform policy and programmes in resource-limited settings.
The grant may cover salaries, technical support, laboratory supplies, equipment, and other research-related costs, with indirect costs capped at 10% of the total budget. Eligible applicants must be early-stage investigators who obtained their terminal research degree less than ten years prior to the application deadline, have not previously received a non-training research grant exceeding USD 30,000, and hold a position that allows them to carry out the proposed research with the support of a mentor and their institution.
Applicants must hold a passport or national identity document from a low- or middle-income country as classified by the World Bank, and their research budget should allocate at least 80% of direct grant expenses to activities in these countries. The programme encourages collaboration between different study sites and institutions, fostering innovation and practical solutions that can impact paediatric HIV care and treatment globally.
Applicants must complete the Letter of Intent (LOI) submission form through the online platform. The form can be saved and updated at any time before final submission. Once completed, applicants must save the form and click “Submit” on the last page. The LOI can only be submitted electronically through the official online system, and applications sent outside this platform will not be accepted. Only applications written in English or French will be accepted.
Applicants are required to upload a scanned copy of their terminal research degree, a letter of support from their institution, and a letter of commitment from their mentor. Letters of intent without these supporting documents will not be accepted.
Eligible LOIs will be reviewed by the CIPHER Research Grant Working Group. Applications will be prioritized based on their potential to address critical gaps in paediatric and adolescent HIV research and their ability to inform policy and programmes in resource-limited settings.
For this round, priority will be given to research that contributes to an HIV cure for children or focuses on strategies to strengthen the paediatric HIV cascade, including case identification, continuity of care and re-engagement in care, as well as efforts to build collective research capacity in the applicant’s home country and/or research performance sites.
Shortlisted candidates will be notified in November 2025. They will be invited to submit a full proposal and will be given details and instructions on how to prepare this proposal. Letters of intent for this round must be submitted by 30 September 2025, 18:00 CEST.
For more information, visit IAS.