Application Deadline: 15 February 2026, 23:00 CET

Applications are now open for the AIDS 2026 Prevention Ambassador Fellowship. IAS – the International AIDS Society – convenes, educates and advocates for a world in which HIV
no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being. After the emergence of HIV
and AIDS, concerned scientists created the IAS to bring together experts from across the world and
disciplines to promote a concerted HIV response.

The AIDS 2026 prevention ambassador fellowship will support individuals working to advance
knowledge of and access to HIV prevention to amplify their reach, strengthen networks and
engage with the latest prevention science and policy developments at AIDS 2026, the 26th
International AIDS Conference. AIDS 2026 will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 26 to 31 July
2026, bringing together scientists, clinicians, public health experts, community leaders and people
living with HIV in person and virtually.

Successful fellowship applicants will be supported to:

• Implement a digital content project on HIV prevention ahead of AIDS 2026, contributing to
  the IAS Rethink. Rebuild. Rise. campaign (support of up to USD 500 in project costs).
• Design and create digital content during AIDS 2026, translating the latest scientific, policy
  and activism on HIV prevention for target audiences, contributing to the Rethink. Rebuild.
  Rise. campaign (support of up to USD 500 in project costs).
• Attend AIDS 2026 in person (support for travel, accommodation, per diem, ground transport
  and visa costs, if applicable).
• Connect with researchers, policy makers and activists working in HIV prevention.
• Take part in networking and other professional development opportunities at AIDS 2026

Duration
The fellowship will begin following a competitive review and selection process, with notification of
selection in March 2026. The fellowship will end on 14 August 2026.

Eligibility
The following skills, experience and qualifications are essential:

• Proven track record of working to advance knowledge of and access to HIV prevention
  (for example, PrEP/PEP, U=U, harm reduction, long-acting prevention, combination
  prevention and policy).
• Demonstrated track record of content creation on HIV prevention on social or digital
  media, with a minimum of 5,000 total followers/subscribers across platforms (for
  example, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, X, Bluesky, podcasts, blogs,
  newsletters and community radio with digital presence). Applicants without these metrics
  may qualify through other ways of recording reach (for example, community networks or
  consistent content with documented engagement).
• Commitment to ethical reporting standards and evidence-based, non-stigmatizing and
  rights-based language, in accordance with IAS communications guidelines.
• Proficiency in English (multilingual creators encouraged; English proficiency required to
  engage with AIDS 2026 content).
• Commitment to participate in pre-event onboarding (virtual) and full AIDS 2026 dates.
• Aged 18 or older at the time of application.

Priority will be given to applicants who:

• Represent or work closely with key and priority populations, including people living with
  and affected by HIV, men who have sex with men, trans people, sex workers, people who
  inject drugs, adolescent girls and young women, migrants, and other underserved
  communities
• Are based in low- and middle-income countries and/or produce content for underserved
  audiences
• Demonstrate experience and/or collaborations with community-led organizations, clinics
  or advocacy coalitions
  
  Application submission
  Interested candidates are invited to download and complete the application form here. As part of
  the application, candidates will be asked to provide:
• Demographic information
• Work history
• Motivation
• Brief descriptions of two digital prevention communication projects (one pre-AIDS 2026 and
  one during AIDS 2026), including intended outcomes, planned themes, target audiences,
  platforms to be used and two sample posts of what project implementation could look like CV, including portfolio and/or links to recent prevention-related digital content (last six to
• 12 months) and evidence of reach (for example, screenshots of engagement analytics and
• qualitative metrics)
• Letter of support from your organization, if employed
• Letter of reference, if self-employed
•  
• The IAS will treat all application information confidentially. Only selected candidates will be
  contacted. You can submit questions by email to hivprevention@iasociety.org.