Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grants - Institute/Initiative Community Support

New diagnoses of sexually transmitted blood-borne illnesses (STBBIs) and human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are on the rise across Canada, and evidence suggests First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of HIV/STBBI's compared to non-Indigenous Canadians. The Indigenous Guidance Circle (IGC; the Circle) is a group of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals from across five regions in Canada: Atlantic, Ontario, Prairies, and British Columbia and Yukon. This funding will support a two-day in-person, dedicated meeting of the Circle in Montreal, Quebec, to address critical areas related to HIV and STBBIs in a format that prioritizes Indigenous practices, needs, and concerns. This event will provide a rare opportunity for Indigenous representatives from across Canada to come together in a dedicated setting to establish Indigenous-focused HIV and STBBI research priorities and specific community-focused research questions that can be developed into high-quality, innovative trials with the CIHR Pan-Canadian Network for HIV and STBBI Clinical Trials Research (CTN+), and knowledge mobilization initiatives.