RISE Study, Co-Sponsored by amfAR, Wins Robert Carr Research Award

The prestigious award is given to research projects conducted by a community-academia partnership advancing human rights and policy in the field of HIV.

NEW YORK, July 18, 2024 — The RISE (Representation, Inclusion, Sustainability, and Equity) study has been announced as the winner of the Robert Carr Research Award at the 25th International AIDS Conference. RISE, which is co-sponsored by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is led by a steering committee of 13 members from 11 countries who joined forces to investigate and improve the grantmaking process of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

RISE study collaborators gathered data on the importance of participation from representatives of key populations in Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs), national committees that develop and submit funding requests to the Global Fund. The final report is the result of surveys and in-depth interviews with more than 650 participants from 83 countries and offers seven recommendations to enhance community engagement with CCMs and the Global Fund grantmaking process.

“The RISE study was very much designed to be a collaborative effort, so the Robert Carr Award is not only a great honor, but a validation of the extraordinary work put in by an incredibly dedicated and talented group of people,” amfAR Director of Research, Public Policy and RISE report lead author Dr. Jennifer Sherwood said. “Community involvement is key to fighting disease as vulnerable and minority populations are often overlooked or otherwise excluded from decision-making processes; we were determined to identify ways to bring more people to the table.”

The study’s recommendations include:

Strengthening initiatives to inform community partners about the Global Fund’s policies and guidelines
Increasing support for community engagement
Ensuring accessible and translated information about grant performance
Supporting peer-to-peer mentoring for community members
Ensuring sufficient and transparent funding streams for community participation
Implementing a cross-country learning forum for community representatives
Strengthening accountability mechanisms for reporting misconduct and abuse

The Robert Carr Research Award is named for the late Jamaican-Trinidadian activist and scholar. His work spotlighted the ways stigma and discrimination perpetuate the HIV/AIDS epidemic. His namesake award is coordinated by the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO).

“We can’t end AIDS without the input and meaningful involvement of the people most impacted,” amfAR Vice President and Director of Public Policy Greg Millett said. “However, in many countries, those people may be vilified, criminalized, and otherwise disenfranchised. The RISE study provides essential empirical data global leaders can utilize to include key populations more holistically.”

The full RISE report is available in English and French with further translations forthcoming.

About amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and advocacy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $635 million in its programs and has awarded more than 3,800 grants to research teams worldwide. Learn more at www.amfAR.org.

Media Contact:
Robert Kessler, Program Communications Manager
(212) 806-1602
robert.kessler@amfar.org