Mark Wainberg Fund

Applications are no longer being accepted for 2025.

Dr. Mark Wainberg (1945-2017) was a veteran leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS and well-known for his involvement in the vastly important initial identification of lamivudine (3TC) as an antiviral drug in 1989.  An internationally respected researcher and committed mentor, Dr. Wainberg was also one of the founding members and past President of the Canadian Association for HIV Research.

To continue Dr. Wainberg’s vision of fostering innovative HIV research and knowledge sharing, and through the generous support of ViiV Healthcare, CAHR established the “Mark Wainberg Fund” in 2017 to assist Canadian basic science researchers – working in the realm of HIV virology – to present their work at accredited meetings in Canada and internationally. CAHR thanks ViiV Healthcare for their support of this program.

Funding

Via this funding competition, CAHR will fund travel awards for eligible basic science researchers to present their HIV-focused work at Canadian and international conferences which provide a suitable platform to discuss their research.

A maximum of $2,500 (CAD) will be available per awardee for travel to an accredited conference.

Allowable Costs

The following expenditures are eligible for funding:

  1. transportation
  2. lodging

In all cases, funding will be provided directly to the awardee upon the conclusion of the conference. Awardees are responsible for submitting proof of travel (boarding passes and hotel invoices) to CAHR in order to process payments.

Important Dates

This is an open competition and applications will be accepted throughout the calendar year. Applications must be submitted at least four (4) weeks in advance of the event to allow adequate time for peer review.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be Canadian citizens or a permanent residents of Canada
  • Applicants must be based in a Canadian institution (Master’s level or higher)
  • Applicants must have a research focus in the Basic Sciences
  • Applicants must have a research focus in Virology
  • Applicants must show proof that their HIV focused work has been accepted for presentation at an accredited conference in Canada or internationally
  • Practicing clinicians, CAHR board members and government officials are not eligible

How to Apply

A complete application must include:

  • A maximum two-page letter, using no more than 1000 words, that:
    • Summarizes the applicant’s relevant experience/training
    • Demonstrates that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements
    • Describes how the applicant meets the evaluation criteria
    • States that the applicant has not received funding from another funding body to attend the same conference
  • The applicant’s CV
  • Proof of research acceptance to the conference to which they are seeking funds
  • Proof of Canadian citizenship or a permanent residency of Canada
  • A declaration that the applicant is neither a practicing clinician nor a Government official

Official Languages

CAHR encourages applicants to submit proposals in the Official Language of their choice and commits to ensuring high-quality review of applications submitted in either Official Language.

Conditions of Funding

Successful candidates must:

  • Confirm that they have not already received funding from another funding body to attend the same conference
  • Accept their award within 5 working days of the date of offer or the award will be cancelled and offered to the next fundable applicant

Funding is non-renewable. Individuals may only hold one award per calendar year.

Communication Requirements

Award recipients must acknowledge CAHR/ViiV financial support in any report/presentation related to the event.

Review Process

CAHR will assemble an independent review committee comprised of peers to adjudicate the applications.

Evaluation Criteria

The priority areas for adjudication are:

  • Demonstration that the applicant has the requisite training and HIV expertise as appropriate for the subject matter of the event
  • Demonstration that the applicant has financial need of this award
  • Demonstration that the applicant will be actively participating and presenting in the conference as a presenter, or has other active participation in original research or scientific work that is being presented (e.g. abstract submission)
  • Demonstration that attending the funded event will benefit the applicant’s career and/or research efforts

Funding Decision

Upon completion of peer review, CAHR will be provided an application rating and funding recommendation. This information will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous.

Applications will be funded as far as the budget will allow.  Applications that receive a rating below 3.5 will not be funded (rating scale is 0-5).

Results

2025 recipients

CAHR 2025

  • Abraham Awada (University of Manitoba)
  • Teresa Bennett (University of Toronto)
  • Maggie Duncan (Simon Fraser University)
  • Riley Greenslade (University of Manitoba)
  • Rubendren Jamilchelvan (University of Manitoba)
  • Toby Le (University of Manitoba)
  • Ruey Su (University of Manitoba)
  • Celene Titus (University of Toronto)
  • Riley Tough (University of Manitoba)
  • Qing Rui (Simon) Qu (University of Toronto)
  • Suji Udayakumar (University of Toronto)
  • Fatima Yaseen (BC Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS)
2024 recipients

R4P 2024

  • James Pollock (University of Toronto)

AIDS 2024

  • Maggie Duncan (Simon Fraser)
  • Mohammad-Ali Jenabian (Université du Québec à Montréal)
  • Haneesha Mohan (University of Toronto)

CSV 2024

  • Corby Fink (University of Western Ontario)
  • Amy Gillgrass (McMaster University)
  • Arvin Persaud (University of Toronto)

CAHR 2024

  • Stephane Isnard (McGill University)
  • Toby Le (University of Manitoba)
  • F. Harrison Omondi (Simon Fraser)
  • Michelle Ranjbar (University of Toronto)
  • Ruey-chyi Su (University of Manitoba)
  • Celene Titus (University of Toronto)
2023 recipients

British Society for Immunology Annual Congress 2023

  • Michael Grant (Memorial University)

Strategies for an HIV Cure

  • Fredrick Omondi (Simon Fraser University)

IAS 2023, the 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science

  • Mohammad-Ali Jenabian (Université du Québec à Montréal)

CAHR 2023

  • Zhujun Ao (University of Manitoba)
  • Allison Balasko (University of Manitoba)
  • Samar Dankar (University of Ottawa)
  • Jonathan Dias (Université de Montréal)
  • Maggie Duncan (Simon Fraser University)
  • Corby Fink (Western)
  • Brittany Haas (University of Ottawa)
  • Kayla Holder (Memorial)
  • Nnamdi Ikeogu (University of Manitoba)
  • Monika Kowatsch (University of Manitoba)
2022 recipients

CSV2022

  • Jonathan Burnie (University of Toronto)

AIDS 2022

  • Michael Grant (Memorial)

HIV Persistence Workshop 2022

  • Maggie Duncan (SFU)
2021 recipients

CAHR 2021

  • Monika Kowatsch, University of Manitoba

Keystone (eSymposia on HIV Pathogenesis and Cure)

  • Jonathan Dias (University of Montreal)
2019 recipients

HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P)

  • Steven Jin, Simon Fraser University

Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI)

  • Aniqa Shahid, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), St Paul’s Hospital Foundation

CAHR 2019

  • Julie Lajoie, University of Manitoba
  • Teslin Sandstrom, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
  • Mark Goring, McGill University
  • Saina Beitari, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
  • Breanne Head, University of Manitoba
  • Allison Balasko, University of Manitoba
  • Monika Kowatsch, University of Manitoba
  • Matthew Greig, University of Ottawa

American Society for Virology’s Annual Meeting (ASV 2019)

  • Tyler Renner, University of Ottawa

Cold Spring Harbor Labs meeting on Retroviruses

  • Linda Chelico, University of Saskatchewan

International Herpesvirus Workshop

  • Elinor Shvartsman, University of Manitoba

NK2019

  • Kayla Holder, Memorial University
2018 recipients

27th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2018)

  • Stephen Barr, Western University
  • Emilie Comeau, Memorial University of Newfoundland
  • Raymond Wong, University of Toronto
  • Tyler Renner, University of Ottawa
  • Allison Balasko, University of Manitoba

Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2018)

  • Thibault Mesplede, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
  • Lydia Larabie, McGill University

2018 AMMI Canada – CACMID Annual Conference

  • Monika Kowatsch, University of Manitoba

Cold Spring Harbour Labs

  • Linda Chelico, University of Saskatchewan

22nd International AIDS Conference

  • Guinevere Lee, The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard
  • Wendy Zhang, University of British Columbia
  • Anthony Hsieh, University of British Columbia

    Contact Information

    Please contact trainingandawards@cahr-acrv.ca for more information.

    Partners

    ViiV Healthcare ULC

    ViiV Healthcare in Canada, a company devoted to HIV/AIDS research and treatment and to supporting people affected by HIV/AIDS across Canada. ViiV Healthcare in Canada is part of ViiV Healthcare, a global specialist HIV company established by GSK and Pfizer in 2009 and joined by Shionogi in 2012. We are committed to taking a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any other pharmaceutical company has done before. We have advanced research and development and also work in partnership with HIV/AIDS communities across Canada: populations at risk, people living with HIV/AIDS, their caregivers and support organizations, and healthcare providers. ViiV Healthcare’s Canadian operations are headquartered in Laval, Quebec. For further information on ViiV Healthcare, please visit www.viivhealthcare.ca