RISE Study Honored

A collaborative study on community engagement in Global Fund activities, co-sponsored by amfAR, wins the prestigious 2024 Robert Carr Research Award

The RISE (Representation, Inclusion, Sustainability, and Equity) study has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Robert Carr Research Award, which will be presented at the 25th International AIDS Conference. RISE, which is co-sponsored by amfAR, 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,” said Dr. Jennifer Sherwood, amfAR Director of Research, Public Policy and one of the RISE report’s lead authors. “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.

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