HIV Is Not A Crime 7 Announces Scholarship Nominations for 2027 National Training Academy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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July 28, 2026

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Contact: Tami Haught: tami.haught@seroproject.com

Media Contact: Eric Pfleider: eric.pfleider@seroproject.com

HIV Is Not A Crime 7 Announces Scholarship Nominations for 2027 National Training Academy

The HIV Is Not A Crime 7 (HINAC7) Scholarship Work Group is now accepting scholarship nominations for the HIV Is Not A Crime 7 National Training Academy, taking place in summer 2027. The location and dates for HINAC7 have not yet been confirmed.

HIV Is Not A Crime (HINAC) is a biennial gathering of people living with HIV (PLHIV), advocates, policy leaders, and community partners from across the United States. The academy equips participants with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to advance efforts to end HIV criminalization, mass incarceration, racism, and other forms of social injustice while centering the leadership of PLHIV.

The HINAC7 planning partner organizations—SERO Project, Positive Women's Network–USA, Positively Trans, and the U.S. PLHIV Caucus invite community members to nominate advocates who would benefit from attending the academy. Scholarships are intended to support emerging and established leaders committed to strengthening HIV justice efforts in their communities but who would otherwise be unable to attend due to financial barriers.

Priority consideration will be given to people living with HIV, people of transgender and gender-diverse experience, harm reduction advocates, people of color, sex workers, survivors of HIV criminalization, and advocates from the Southern United States.

Since 2014, HINAC scholarship recipients have returned to their communities prepared to organize, educate, and build coalitions that have contributed to meaningful HIV criminalization reform across the country. These efforts have supported legislative and policy victories in Iowa (2014), Colorado (2016), California (2017), Michigan and North Carolina (2018), Washington (2020), Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia (2021), Georgia and New Jersey (2022), Tennessee (2023–2024), Kentucky (2023), North Dakota and Maryland (2025), and most recently, Louisiana (2026).

HINAC7 continues this progress by investing in community leaders advancing HIV criminalization reform and equipping them with practical strategies, leadership development, and a national network of advocates to sustain change long after they return home.

Dietz of Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health said, “HINAC provided a rich environment for thought partnership and strategy building among a truly global network of advocates and activists. It was inspirational!”

To reduce application fatigue and make the process more accessible, the HINAC7 scholarship process begins with a community nomination. Anyone may nominate up to three advocates they believe should attend the academy. Once a nomination is received, the nominee will be invited to complete the scholarship application. Only nominated individuals will be eligible to submit a scholarship application.

The scholarship nomination period closes at 10:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 27. Completed scholarship applications from nominated individuals close at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 15, 2026.

Those interested in learning more about the scholarship process are encouraged to register and attend the HINAC7 Scholarship How to Apply Webinar on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. ET. A recording and presentation slides will be available for those unable to attend. The scholarship nomination form will be released following the webinar.

For more information about the HIV Is Not A Crime 7 National Training Academy, visit the SERO Project website, follow HINAC Training Academy on Facebook, or contact Tami Haught, Co-Executive Director, at tami.haught@seroproject.com.

Key dates:

HINAC 6 Scholarship Webinar Aug. 20 6 pm ET/5 pm CT/4 pm MT/3 pm PT

Scholarship Nominations Due Sept. 27 10 pm ET/9 pm CT/8 pm MT/7 pm PT

Scholarship Applications Due Oct. 15 9 pm ET/8 pm CT/7 pm MT/6 pm PT

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