Scholarship Programmes:
Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the criteria for the scholarship programme?

A: The criteria are not publicized before the scholarships are awarded. The Conference Coordinating Committee (CCC) will decide on the criteria inline with the goals and focus areas of the conference.

Many aspects are taken into account when deciding who will get the scholarships, including country of work, personal profile (gender, age etc), occupation, type of organization and time worked in the HIV/AIDS field. In addition, applicants’ motivation and ability to feedback the knowledge gained is also vital to the selection process.

Scholarships will be offered to delegates who are submitting abstracts, Skills Building and Programme Activities (Global Village, Cultural Programme or Youth Programme) as well as delegates who are not submitting anything the conference programme.

In addition, there is a Media Scholarship Programme that media representatives can apply to.

Scholarships will be awarded to all of the scholarship categories.

Q: What support does the scholarship provide?

A: Applicants can request all or some of the following aspects of the scholarship to attend AIDS 2008:

• Conference registration fee (includes access to all sessions and exhibitions)
• Air travel (pre-paid ticket at the lowest fare available, from the nearest international airport)
• Accommodation (shared in hotel twin rooms for the days of the conference)
• Modest Living Allowance for the conference duration (3-8 August 2008, the equivalent of US$30 per day)

Please note that the level of support requested may not be the level of support granted.  Full scholarships will only be awarded in a limited number of cases. Partial scholarships will also be awarded.

In all cases individuals will be required to cover the cost of their hotel incidental expenses, meals, visa applications and any optional extra expenses, for example travel insurance.

Q: What questions are asked on the application form?

A: Most of the questions are regarding personal details and your work experience. There are also four ‘essay’ type questions which ask for you to explain what your organization does, what your job involves, why you want to attend the conference and how your organization or community would benefit from your attendance at the conference.

Q: I am not submitting an abstract for the conference; can I still apply for a scholarship?

A: It is not necessary to submit an abstract to be considered for a scholarship. If you do wish to submit an abstract, you will find information and the online submission form in the abstract section of this website.
Please submit your abstract BEFORE you apply for a scholarship. You will need to enter your abstract submission number (format A-011-000-0000) into the application form.

Q: I am a journalist; can I apply for a scholarship?

A: A limited number of scholarships will be awarded to media representatives. Please complete the media scholarship online application form which you can find through the conference profile.

Q: I’m 17 years old; can I apply for a scholarship?

A: The minimum age to be able to apply for the International or Media Scholarship is 18 years old. There is no upper age limit.

Q: There is a group from our organization who want to apply for scholarships. Can we apply together?

A: There is no group application process for AIDS 2008 scholarships.
Each member of your organisation who wishes to attend the conference with a scholarship needs to make an individual application. Each application will be considered individually.

Q: I want to continue my studies; can I apply for a scholarship?

A: Please note this is a scholarship to attend the AIDS 2008 conference, not for a research or study programme.

Q: I don’t have access to the internet and I don’t have an email address. Can I apply for a scholarship through the post?

A: Due to the high number of applications, all applications must be made online through the conference profile.
In addition, the scholarship department communicates with applicants and recipients primarily through email. Therefore, please open a free email account at hotmail (www.hotmail.com) or yahoo (www.yahoo.com) and make sure that you check it regularly.