Funding

Funding for HIV/AIDS research and education is a key component of the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada invests in funding at both the national and regional levels.

Funding under the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative is administered by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Agency also administers community engagement funding.

Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada: National Funding

The HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division is responsible for administering five national HIV/AIDS grants and contributions funding programs under the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada. An update on national Invitation to Submit Applications is presented in the chart below.

These funds:

• Support a national voluntary-sector response that plays a coordinating and leadership role in the response to HIV/AIDS;
• Help engage in direct, meaningful involvement with people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS;
• Encourage collaborations and partnerships to address risk factors of the disease and achieve an integrated approach to disease prevention across sectors;
• Enhance the capacity of individuals, organizations and communities to respond to the epidemic;
• Gather and encourage the exchange of HIV/AIDS information and knowledge;
• Enable the development of effective, informed and innovative policies and program interventions that are relevant across Canada; and
• Enhance a broader response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its underlying causes.
  

National HIV/AIDS Funding Programs	Goal	Update on Invitations to Submit an Application
National Specific Populations HIV/AIDS Initiatives Fund	To prevent HIV infection; increase access to appropriate diagnosis, care, treatment, and support; and increase healthy behaviours amongst Canada's populations most affected by HIV/AIDS and most vulnerable to infection.	Call Closed
National HIV/AIDS Voluntary Sector Response Fund	To facilitate coherent National action which contributes to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and other related communicable diseases.	Open
Non-Reserve First Nations, Inuit and Métis Communities HIV/AIDS Project Fund	To reduce HIV incidence and to facilitate access to testing, counselling, diagnosis, care, treatment and social support for all Aboriginal People Living with HIV/AIDS (APHAs) and those at risk.	Call Closed
National HIV/AIDS Knowledge Exchange Fund	To strengthen response of front-line organizations involved in the delivery of prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support to people living with and at-risk to HIV/AIDS and other related communicable diseases incorporating an active and continuous exchange of knowledge.	Directed

Current National HIV/AIDS projects funded

For more information on PHAC National HIV/AIDS G&C Funding Programs, please contact:

Jacqueline Arthur, RN, BscN, Manager
Community Programs - HIV/AIDS Section
Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control
Public Health Agency of Canada
Telephone: (613) 957-7477
E-mail: jacqueline.arthur@phac-aspc.gc.ca

Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada: Regional Funding

The Agency's regional offices are responsible for administering the AIDS Community Action Program (ACAP), which supports community-based organizations in delivering HIV/AIDS prevention education, creating supportive environments for those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and increasing the capacity of people living with HIV/AIDS to manage their condition (health promotion). In 2005-2006, ACAP provided a total of $9.82 million to support the operations and projects of more than 100 community-based organizations across Canada.

The Agency maintains a presence in all regions of Canada through six regional offices, and the Northern Secretariat:

• Atlantic Region
• Quebec Region
• Ontario and Nunavut Region
• Manitoba and Saskatchewan Region
• Alberta and Nortwest Territories Region
• Northern Secretariat

AIDS Community Action Program (ACAP) Grants and Contributions Allocation Project 2005 - Final Report

San Patten and Associates were contracted by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Regional Offices (PHAC RO) to prepare a discussion paper that provides options and recommendations for an allocation formula. Principal researchers were San Patten, MSc., and Roxanne Felix, MSc.

This allocation formula will guide regional distribution of Grants and Contributions (G&C) resources under the regional AIDS Community Action Program, beginning April 1, 2006.

ACAP Funding:

• Regional Operational Funding
• Regional Project Funding

Other sources of Federal Initiative funding from external organizations

In addition to the HIV/AIDS funding provided through the Agency, there are other sources of Federal Initiative funding available from external organizations. Below is a summary of each organization plus appropriate links.

Organization	Current Funding Opportunities
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity supports research and helps build research capacity in the areas of infectious disease and the body's immune system. Through the Institute's programs, researchers address a wide range of health concerns related to infection and immunity, including disease mechanisms, disease prevention and treatment, and health promotion through public policy. Find out more about CIHR and its Institute of Infection and Immunity .	See CIHR's funding opportunities page for more details.
Health Canada The International Affairs Directorate of Health Canada provides funding to support global engagement to non‑profit organizations and institutions through the HIV/AIDS Global Engagement Grants Programme. These funds support activities that will increase Canada’s contribution of programmatic and policy expertise to the global response to HIV/AIDS and promote learning between the domestic and global responses to HIV/AIDS.	See HIV/AIDS Global Engagement Grants Programme for more details.

Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative Funding

CHVI Community Engagement Funding

Community involvement has been a hallmark of the Canadian response to HIV/AIDS from the beginning of the epidemic. Since people living with or vulnerable to HIV will be the ones participating in and helping to direct clinical trials – and eventually will be the recipients of vaccines – it is essential that communities understand the scientific concepts and processes that are part of vaccine research and development. They must also be able to contribute their own knowledge and experience to the process. Community involvement is also critical to ensuring that when HIV vaccines become available, they are acceptable and accessible to those who need them the most.

The Policy and Regulatory Issues and Community and Social Dimensions component of the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative will strengthen existing mechanisms to support community involvement in vaccine research clinical trials and activities related to public awareness and education. The CHVI’s community engagement funding will focus on issues related to community knowledge, sharing of best practices, and vaccine awareness and preparation, both in Canada and internationally. >> more