Catalyst Grant : HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research (2015)

The CIHR HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research (CBR) Program is one of five research funding streams of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative. The CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative is responsible for the research components of the two major Government of Canada initiatives in HIV/AIDS, namely the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada and the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative.

The CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR Program supports the partnered work of Community Leaders and Researchers in knowledge development and capacity-building initiatives of relevance to communities engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS. All opportunities offered through the CBR Program are available in two distinct funding streams: Aboriginal and General.

Community Leaders play an integral role in the research processes to ensure that the research will lead to useful and practical outcomes that will directly benefit the community. For the CIHR HIV/AIDS CBR Program, a Community Leader is defined as an individual who has direct involvement with a community affected by HIV/AIDS, understands the needs of the community and how research can lead to useful practical outcomes for the community, and can facilitate the involvement of the community in the research process. Researchers from academic and other research institutions bring to community groups their research expertise in methodology, scientific rigor and experience in the supervision of future researchers.

The aim of the Catalyst Grant component of the CBR program is to provide seed money, for up to one year, to support HIV/AIDS CBR research activities which represent a first step towards the pursuit of more comprehensive funding opportunities (e.g., operating grants).