A grassroots group of organizers is announcing “24 Hours to Save AIDS Research,” a non-partisan event taking place from Tuesday, September 16, 2025, starting at 11:00 am ET that will promote the successes of HIV research and demand continued federal investments. The interactive event will feature presentations, panels, and dialogue with scientists, researchers, and advocates from around the world.
“Over the past four decades, HIV research has changed the pandemic from a nearly always terminal diagnosis to a chronic condition that can be well managed with treatment,” said organizer Gregg Gonsalves, PhD, Yale School of Public Health.* “That extraordinary success is now being jeopardized by devastating federal funding cuts to HIV research. ‘24 Hours to Save AIDS Research’ will make clear to the public what we stand to lose if these funding cuts continue.”
“24 Hours to Save AIDS Research” is an all-day, online marathon that will include more than 70 speakers from around the world sharing their work and experiences with HIV research. Registration is now open and the interactive event will stream on YouTube. Speakers represent the broad range of HIV research areas, including prevention, cure, co-morbidities, basic science, behavioral and social science, and treatment advances. The event will feature presenters from across the globe, enabling people from all time zones to access the programming in real time.
“This marathon event has been organized to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of HIV research,” said Judith D. Auerbach, PhD, University of California San Francisco. “HIV researchers and advocates have been uniquely successful because we have tackled the complex nature of HIV from a variety of expertise, worked collaboratively across disciplines and sectors, and grounded our work in the needs of the community. ‘24 Hours to Save AIDS Research’ will highlight how effective that work has been in advancing the health and well-being of people everywhere.”
These hard-earned successes are now being threatened. Since January, the federal government has waged an unparalleled assault on science and research and has systematically dismantled federal institutions that have long been at the forefront of advancing global health. While science and health have been attacked broadly, the impact on HIV has been particularly acute, as pioneering research and implementation programs in the United States and around the world have been terminated.
“It’s impossible to overstate the foundational role of US federal funding in discovering and ultimately making available the HIV prevention and treatment options that have saved tens of millions of lives,” said organizer Mitchell Warren, AVAC. “The federal government’s unprecedented cuts to research programs and institutions are senseless and will set back the HIV response by years, it not decades. And more importantly, they could result in millions of preventable deaths around the world.”
As HIV research has transformed the pandemic, it has receded from the public’s attention. “24 Hours to Save AIDS Research” aims to help the public understand what has been achieved through decades of wise investments by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal funders and partners. Through presentations, discourse, and question and answer sessions, the event will demonstrate the extraordinary value of HIV science and what is at risk if funding cuts continue.
“This event, much like the HIV response, is grassroots and community-driven,” said organizer Jeff Wickersham, PhD, Yale School of Medicine. “Individuals who have been involved in HIV research and advocacy, some from its earliest days, recognized this as pivotal moment in the trajectory of HIV research and came together to produce an event that tells the story of HIV research. Over the course of 24 hours, we will demonstrate to the public that HIV research is a great success story and we must do everything we can to ensure it continues.”
Organizations from around the world are supporting “24 Hours to Save AIDS Research,” including research institutions, advocacy groups, and public health organizations. A full list of supporters can be found on the website.
Participants can register in advance for “24 Hours to Save AIDS Research” or join on YouTube on September 16, 2025 starting at 11:00 am ET. For more information, please visit saveaidsresearch.org and follow updates on the programming on Instagram and Bluesky.
*Note: Organizers are participating in their personal capacity only and not on behalf of their institutions.