FAQs: 2026 INSPIRE Designathon

At least one member of your team should be an academic or non-academic researcher. Institution and level of experience are not specified, but teams should be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity and expertise to carry out their project ideas and have the skills to conduct research. A current student would not qualify. However, a student could be a member of the team in addition to an experienced researcher.

Yes. Those who took part in our last Designathon are eligible for the 2026 Designathon and should submit a new proposal that addresses this year’s prompt: “How might we scale up long-acting injectable lenacapavir and integrate it into youth-centered HIV prevention and care across Africa?“

We can only accept proposals for projects that take place within a country of a Clinical Research Center. This year’s Designathon awards are intended to supplement the work of PATC³H-IN Clinical Research Centers. You can learn about the centers and the countries they operate in by visiting the PATC³H-IN website.

Not all members of your team need to reside in your project country. However, it is strongly recommended that at least one of your members reside in the project country.

Your budget should be for US$10,000 maximum. Costs should be listed in USD. Amounts can be approximate. However, we recommend you research costs. You can categorize your budget and detail items in each category.

Budget considerations include, but are not limited to:

• LEN cost
• IRB cost
• Publications, print materials
• Travel
• Licensing, software
• Participant stipends

All components of your project idea should be budgeted for. Follow the NIH guidance on allowable and unallowable costs.

We are looking for original ideas and committed to a fair review process. Submissions must contain less than 10% AI-generated content.

Letters of support from a Clinical Research Center (CRC) principal investigator are required for ALL Designathon teams. Project ideas should be implemented in a country served by the supporting CRC and should supplement the work of the CRC.

Visit this PATC3H-IN webpage to view the eight CRCs in the network. You can click on the center’s name to learn more about their work, view which countries they operate in, and obtain contact information for principal investigators.

When requesting a letter of support, Designathon teams should provide CRC investigators with:

• A team introduction
• Context for the project idea
• An explanation of the proposal aligns with the aims of the CRC
• A copy of their proposal.

Submissions will be  judged on the following criteria:

1. Proposal

• Clear goals and ideas
• Well-written, logical and easy to understand

2. Significance

• Relevance to the population
• Address why the problem is critical
• Community impact and reach
• Projected outcomes for adolescents and young adults in Africa

3. Innovation

• Originality: novel methods, approaches and perspectives
• Innovative solutions
• Integration of technology and new strategies

4. Feasibility and Rigor

• Is the project achievable within the budget and time frame?
• Practical methods supported by science
• Potential for scalability and sustainability
• Real world application

5. Team

• Clear details on team roles and relevance to project
• Professional goals are aligned with the Designathon
• Capacity: Skills and experience needed to accomplish the project

6. Budget

• In USD and for $10,000 max
• Accounts for IRB costs, LEN costs and other components introduced in the project idea
• Follow NIH allowable costs guidance

Submissions will be reviewed at least twice by a panel of experts. Each criteria will be scored independently, and the total weighted score will determine the proposal’s ranking. Any submissions that have a conflict of interest with a reviewer will be reassigned to another reviewer.

Proposals should:

• Be implemented in a country served by a supporting PATC³H-IN Clinical Research Center and should be a supplement to the work being done by the center.
• Be co-developed by community/youth organization members and researchers with equitable partnership at the core.
• Design or adapt delivery strategies to integrate lenacapavir into youth-centered HIV prevention, treatment, or adherence support.
• Explore models for scale-up, such as outreach programs, peer-led navigation, community pharmacies, youth hubs, mobile services, or hybrid digital–in-person approaches.
• Use participatory design methods that meaningfully involve youth, caregivers, and community partners.
• Apply implementation science frameworks—ADAPT-ITT, CFIR, RE-AIM, FRAME/FRAME-IS, EPIS—to guide, measure, and document adaptation or scale-up processes.
• Aim to generate publishable implementation science outputs, including adaptation documentation, feasibility results, or scale-up roadmaps.

We also recommend you review the Judging Criteria:

1. Proposal

• Clear goals and ideas
• Well-written, logical and easy to understand

2. Significance

• Relevance to the population
• Address why the problem is critical
• Community impact and reach
• Projected outcomes for adolescents and young adults in Africa

3. Innovation

• Originality: novel methods, approaches and perspectives
• Innovative solutions
• Integration of technology and new strategies

4. Feasibility and Rigor

• Is the project achievable within the budget and time frame?
• Practical methods supported by science
• Potential for scalability and sustainability
• Real world application

5. Team

• Clear details on team roles and relevance to project
• Professional goals are aligned with the Designathon
• Capacity: Skills and experience needed to accomplish the project

6. Budget

• In USD and for $10,000 max
• Accounts for IRB costs, LEN costs and other components introduced in the project idea
• Follow NIH allowable costs guidance

For the eight teams selected to participate in the Designathon Sprint in Lagos, Nigeria, INSPIRE will cover travel (airfare, ground transportation), lodging, and meals during their participation. INSPIRE will also help with travel arrangements including booking transportation and hotel and visa arangements.

For the three winning teams awarded US$10,000, the INSPIRE Center will provide continued coaching, training, and support throughout the year (June 2026-April 2027). INSPIRE will hold monthly check-ins to ensure teams are on track with their project aims and will be responsible for processing award payments. Teams are expected to meet deliverable deadlines, including a final report.

CRCs can support multiple teams. However, not all teams will be selected for participation in the Designathon. CRCs should not write letters of support for team proposals they do not view as a supplement to their work or for proposal ideas that do not take place in their country.

In their letter of support, CRC investigators should:

1. Include the Designathon team name
2. Provide a few sentences about how the proposed project aligns with the goals of the CRC

Teams can provide a draft letter of support for investigators.

Eight teams will be selected to travel to Lagos, Nigeria to compete in a three-day Sprint from May 2-4. At the end of the Sprint, judges will award three teams US$10,000 to implement their ideas over one year. CRCs supporting winning teams are expected to serve in an advisory role on the project idea over the course of one year (May 2026- April 2027). This includes:

• An initial meeting at the launch of the project to discuss timeline, budget, implementation, etc. This will take place at the PATC³H-IN Annual Meeting.
• Provide mentoring and support to designathon team. We anticipate this be a one hour monthly meeting through April 2027.
• Youth Advisory Board involvement if the CRC deems it appropriate
• A PI signature will be required on the Designathon Participation Agreement for all selected teams
• Guidance for the IRB submission. If applicable, a letter of endorsement for IRB application.

It is outside INSPIRE’s scope of work to provide or guarantee access to pharmaceuticals. The winning Designathon teams will be responsible for acquiring lencacapvir (LEN) for their project. However, teams can and should use the funds awarded to them by INSPIRE for purchasing LEN. We recommend leveraging relationships with clinical research centers, ministries of health, and non-governmental organizations to acquire lenacapavir.

The Global Fund, with support from CIFF, and PEPFAR have jointly committed to reaching up to two million people with injectable lenacapavir for PrEP over three years. 

Generic versions lenacapavir, will be available at a cost of US$40 a year in 120 low- and middle-income countries starting in 2027, under a new partnership between Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and Wits RHI. Additionally, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, Hetero Labs will manufacture generic lenacapavir at roughly $40 per patient per year for patients in low- and middle-income countries.

Visit the PrEP Watch website for information and resources on the rollout of LEN.