INSPIRE Designathon
The application period for the 2026 Designathon is now closed.
Applicants will be notified by 18 March 2026.
Scaling Up Lenacapavir for Youth-Centered HIV Prevention and Care Across Africa
Our 2026 Designathon combines participatory design with implementation science to advance practical, culturally grounded, and scalable solutions that bring long-acting HIV prevention and treatment (i.e., lenacapavir) closer to where young people live, learn, and connect.
Eight selected teams will travel to Lagos, Nigeria* for a three-day sprint to hone and pitch their ideas 2-4 May 2026. Teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges. Three winning teams will be awarded up to US$10,000 to implement their project ideas. Travel and accommodations for the eight selected teams will be arranged and funded by INSPIRE.
Context
Lenacapavir (LEN) represents one of the most promising long-acting HIV prevention and treatment options, particularly for adolescents and young adults. Yet, while the science is strong, the pathways for equitable access, acceptability, and effective delivery are still emerging across African settings.
To ensure youth benefit from these innovations, we need implementation strategies that fit the realities of young people’s lives—schools, youth hubs, safe spaces, mobile outreach programs, peer networks, digital platforms, and other environments where adolescents feel comfortable seeking care.
This open call seeks to catalyze adaptation and scale-up strategies that make lenacapavir—and youth-centered HIV prevention and care more broadly—accessible, acceptable, and sustainable for young people across Africa.
Read: WHO recommends injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention
Mission
We are working towards an HIV-free generation of adolescents and young adults.
We believe in the insights, wisdom, and power of youth!
We nurture academic and non-academic collaborations working to bridge the gap between effective HIV strategies and real world impact on young Africans.
Important Dates
- 2 March 2026 Deadline for proposals
- 18 March 2026 Applicants notified
- 20 March 2026 Teams acceptance deadline
- May 2026 Designathon sprint in Lagos, Nigeria*
- June 2026 Training period
- July 2026-June 2027 Implementation period
Call to Action
We are looking for project proposals that address the question, “How might we scale up long-acting injectable lenacapavir and integrate it into youth-centered HIV prevention and care across Africa?“
Proposed ideas 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 within African settings.
- 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.
Process
Proposal
Teams of two to four academic/researcher and community members are invited to develop and submit proposals.
Eight teams will be selected to participate in our three-day Designathon sprint in Lagos, Nigeria*.
Prototype
During our three-day sprint in Lagos, Nigeria, the eight selected teams will bring to life their ideas in the form of visuals, animations, infographics, prototypes with various tools and refine their proposed solutions with the help of our mentors.
Pitch
Teams pitch their refined prototype to judges. Three winning teams will be awarded up to US$10,000 in seed funding for piloting or implementing their proposals.
Put into Practice
With the help of INSPIRE’s D&I mentors, three winning teams will execute the strategies they finalized during the Designathon sprint over the course of one year.