Scholarship Program 2021
The IUSTI and ISSTDR sponsored STI & HIV World Congress wishes to support young investigators
and other STI professionals, particularly those from low- and middle-income countries, to
participate in the forthcoming IUSTI +ISSTDR World Congress 2021.
Our field has a long history in addressing the many aspects of sexually transmitted infections with
international cooperation, even more vital in this era of Sars-CoV-2. Our Congress strives for
global inclusivity, and particularly to support young clinicians and investigators as they enter what
we hope will be a lifetime journey. As a result, our Congresses feature scholarship programs,
offering financial support for eligible scholars to attend the meetings and to join program
components specifically designed for them.
The 2021 STI & HIV Congress will continue this tradition. Given the unique circumstance of the
2021 Congress being fully virtual, scholarship funding will be devoted to pay for Congress
registration fees and access to quality online services. While it is impossible to mimic the
experience of a ‘face to face’ in-person attendance, the lower costs of online participation will
allow us to offer more scholarships to more people and more countries.
Scholarship Benefits
• Free registration.
• Full access to all Congress sessions and resources.
• A nominal stipend ($150/€130) to allow access to quality online services.
• Guaranteed acceptance of submitted abstract.
• Preferential selection for program presentation.
• Preferential admission to sessions with restricted attendance.
Application Process
Awards will be made in the following scholarship categories:
A. Investigators and other STI professionals who have achieved their terminal degree within
the past 5 years. Preference will be given to applicants from lower- and middle-income
countries.
B. Other investigators and STI professionals from lower- and middle-income countries
C. Members of and advocates for communities disproportionally affected by STI. Preference
will be given to applicants from lower- and middle-income countries.
The application process will be fully online and comprised of the following components:
• Abstract submission form (basic personal information and contact and workplace
information) – this will be the same as the general abstract submission form.
• Selection of scholarship category A, B, or C.
• A 150-word bio that includes basic background information on education and work
experience and provides the rationale for the scholarship category applied for.
• A brief statement of your future career aspirations
• A brief, one-page letter of support from a mentor, supervisor or senior colleague.
• A 300 word abstract on a scientific or programmatic project the applicant wishes to
present on. The abstract should follow the general outlines given in the Congress’s Call
for Abstract.
Selection Process
All applications will be reviewed by members of the Scholarship Committee who will judge the
merits of the application, including meeting the criteria of the scholarship category applied for
and the quality of the abstract.
Those selected for a scholarship award will receive the benefits outlined above. Abstracts of
those not selected will be automatically forwarded to the general abstract pool and will be
judged separately.
Deadlines
All scholarship applications should be submitted by February 8, 2021. Decisions on acceptance
will be emailed to applicants by March 22, 2021.