Community Scholarship

CROI invites community leaders who engage in communication, advocacy, and educational activities focused on the prevention, treatment, and cure research of HIV, hepatitis viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and other viral infections and their related conditions to apply for a CROI Community Scholarship. Community Scholarship applicants must demonstrate an established commitment to sharing scientific knowledge with stakeholders as well as an ability to expand research and science literacy among communities affected by topics presented at CROI. 

CROI is an intensely science-focused meeting. Individuals who are awarded the CROI Community Scholarship are leaders who are highly motivated to learn and apply the ever-evolving research around topics presented at CROI. To be considered for a Community Scholarship, applicants must demonstrate the competency and skills to translate complicated science to a wide array of community members and stakeholders in different contexts. 

In an effort to increase to broaden the scope and impact of the CROI Community Scholarship program, community leaders with experience attending scientific conferences, but have not attended CROI in the past, are encouraged to apply. 

CROI Going Hybrid in 2022: CROI is currently planned to include both virtual and in-person participation from February 12 through 16, 2022. The in-person component, hosted in Denver, Colorado, USA, will feature additional sessions and networking opportunities. The CROI Scientific Program Committee will monitor the COVID-19 pandemic carefully in terms of changes in the safety and practicality of hosting an in-person component. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available. 

Scholarship Award 

Recipients of a Community Scholarship will receive complimentary access to the conference and may include travel expenses and access to priority housing. 

Scholarship Criteria 

The CROI Community Scholarship is limited and highly competitive. Applicants must be actively involved in their communities. Only candidates affiliated with organizations that provide communications, advocacy, or educational services will be considered (limit of 2 applications per organization). 

Applicants will be assessed on motivation, creativity, competency, literacy, and their demonstrable ability to understand and disseminate research. Scoring will include the overall quality of the application, as well as the applicant’s letter of recommendation (limit of 1 letter of recommendation per recommender). The selection committee will consider the following: 1) experience and aptitude in understanding and disseminating conference-acquired information, 2) application quality, 3) work setting, 4) literacy level in science and evidence of strong command of English, and 5) applicant’s degree of financial need. Preference is given to individuals who: 

• Have demonstrated the capacity and commitment to deliver science- and research-based information directly related to affected communities 
• Engage in community communication, advocacy, or education efforts beyond those related to direct-to-client prevention services (including biomedical-focused services) and recruiting clinical trial participants
  

Medical professionals, administrators, researchers, and media professionals are not eligible to apply for the CROI Community Scholarship. Scholarship recipients are limited to a total of 3 scholarships. Due to the transition of CROI 2020 from an in-person to a virtual conference, scholarships received that year will not be included in the consideration of the number of scholarships the applicant has received. 

All CROI Community Scholarship recipients are required to participate (in-person or virtually) in the full conference, including the Program Committee Workshop for New Investigators and Trainees. At the close of the Conference, scholarship recipients will need to complete all conference evaluations. Scholarship recipients who cannot participate (in-person or virtually) in the full conference must decline the award. The scholarship is not transferable.