An extensive scholarship programme is nothing new for a world AIDS conference. But this year, according to Scholarship Programme Coordinator Ida Giordano, the number of scholarship applicants grew faster than sponsors can keep up.

"Vancouver broke new ground for scholarships, using a programmatic approach and transparent selection process," Giordano said. "The process evolved further in Geneva, through the establishment of directed scholarships for key participants in the Conference programme."

The result was an overwhelming response from scholarship applicants from around the world. But "the flip side was that funding didn’t increase, so that a number of very worthy individuals didn’t make it. We were almost a victim of our own success."

Some scholarship statistics:

* The Geneva Conference received 4,500 applications, up from 2,500 in Vancouver.

* 981 scholarships were awarded.

* 70% of all scholarships were awarded to applicants from the South

* 249 scholarship applicants were accepted from Africa, including 150 poster presenters and 22 authors of oral abstracts.

* 184 applicants come from Asia, including 103 posters and 25 orals.

* 160 applicants originate in Latin or South America, including 83 posters and 15 orals.

* 94 applicants were drawn from Eastern Europe, including 54 posters and 4 orals.

back