NIH and HeroX Call for Innovative Implementation Science Approaches to Improve the Delivery and Scale-up of Long-Acting HIV Prevention and Treatment

BETHESDA, Md., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HIV prevention and treatment has advanced significantly, yet access and uptake remain uneven. Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV and about 1 in 8 don't know it, underscoring the need for treatment delivery approaches that improve access, engagement, and sustained care. To help address this need, the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the NIH ARISE-HIV LAUNCH Challenge. The challenge is facilitated by HeroX, the leading platform and open marketplace for crowdsourced solutions.

The competition seeks innovative, practical, implementation science informed approaches to improve the delivery and scale up of long-acting HIV prevention and treatment in real-world settings. From researchers and implementation scientists to public health practitioners, healthcare professionals, community-based organizations, advocates, and academics, anyone with relevant insight or problem-solving skills is invited to participate.

The first phase of the challenge invites participants to submit a brief concept paper outlining a promising approach to long-acting HIV prevention and/or treatment delivery. Submissions do not require a prototype, pilot program, implementation, or preliminary data. The goal is to surface practical, community-informed ideas that could improve access, engagement, and implementation across HIV service delivery systems.

The challenge's two-phase structure provides support for concept development and implementation planning:

• Phase 1: Ideation
  Participants submit a concept paper of up to three pages describing a proposed approach. Up to 25 winners receive $10,000 each and advance to Phase 2.

• Phase 2: Implementation Planning
  Phase 1 winners receive implementation planning support as they develop more detailed plans, including milestones, deliverables, outcome measures, and evaluation considerations.

Participants must register on the official challenge website and submit by the Phase 1 deadline of August 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST.  

ABOUT

HeroX is facilitating the Challenge and is the leading platform for crowdsourced innovation, connecting complex challenges with diverse problem-solvers worldwide. Explore the latest challenges at www.herox.com

The NIH Office of AIDS Research is the coordinating and priority-setting office for the NIH HIV/AIDS research agenda, advancing research to end the HIV pandemic and improve health outcomes for people with HIV.

ARISE-HIV (Advancing Research in Implementation Science to End HIV ) was launched in 2025 by the NIH Office of AIDS Research in collaboration with all NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices that award HIV funds.  The objective of ARISE-HIV is to accelerate the translation of scientific advances into sustained, population-level impact and facilitates implementation science focused on HIV prevention, care, and treatment — including co-occurring conditions.

SOURCE HeroX