Now in its third year, the Summer Intensive Program in Intersectional BIPOC SGM-focused HIV Science is running from July 29 – August 9, 2024, on Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus.

Summer Intensive Program

The Summer Intensive Program is sponsored by the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH), Third Coast Center for AIDS Research (TC CFAR), and Southern AIDS Coalition. It is led by ISGMH Associate Director, Jagadīśa-devaśrī Dācus, PhD, the recipient of TC CFAR administrative supplements. Program sessions are led by Northwestern faculty and participating academic and community collaborators from Chicagoland and from across the country. 

The program invites a small cohort of trainees in the behavioral and social sciences who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and also sexual and gender minorities (SGM) in either graduate or postdoctoral training programs to attend a series of lectures and workshops. Scholars participate in the following:

  1. A series of lectures, trainings, and other academic activities about the application of intersectionality to HIV behavioral and data science research.
  2. Information sharing and usage to address disparities and inequities in HIV and health outcomes for BIPOC SGM populations.
  3. Mentoring and networking opportunities.

As a university-wide institute at Northwestern University, ISGMH’s mission is to connect scholars from numerous disciplines with the SGM community to forge collaborations and stimulate innovative research to improve SGM health and wellbeing. The Institute provides opportunities for high-level research and training for the next generation of SGM scholars.

The TC CFAR is a citywide collaboration led by Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the Chicago and Illinois Departments of Public Health, and multiple community partners. The center’s mission is to catalyze cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research to end the HIV epidemic.

The mission of Southern AIDS Coalition is to end HIV/STI epidemics in the South by promoting accessible and high-quality systems of prevention, treatment, care, housing, and essential support services.