Frequently Asked Questions

IAS 2017 welcomes the submission of abstracts for original contribution to the field in the following scientific tracks:

• Track A: Basic Science
• Track B: Clinical Science
• Track C: Prevention Science
• Track D: Implementation Science

Abstract submissions are open from 1 December 2016 to 25 January 2017– 23:59 Central European Time. During this time period, abstracts will be accepted through the online submission form available through the conference profile.

Detailed descriptions about the scope and objectives of each scientific track, as defined by the Conference Coordinating Committee, can be found here.

The final deadline to submit abstracts is 25 January 2017 - 23:59 Central European Time.

Abstracts are intended to present scientific studies, research, programmes, policies, etc. highlighting both the methods or description and results or recommendations. If you are describing a study that is still in the planning stage, it would not be suitable for an abstract submission, unless the method that you will use is, for instance, of particular scientific interest. However, if your study is currently ongoing and you only have preliminary data, but it seems relevant or significant, please submit the abstract.

Late breaker submissions must be data of unquestioned significance. Data analysed after the regular submission (25 January 2017) should not be sent in as late breakers if the data do not meet a high threshold of scientific merit. The percentage of abstracts selected for late breakers will depend on the number of submissions, but selection will certainly be more rigorous than for regular abstracts. A small number of late breaker abstracts will be accepted to be presented orally or as posters at the conference.

During their submission, authors will have to declare why their abstract has been submitted as a late breaker. The same submission rules apply for the late breaker abstracts as for the regular abstracts, but each presenting author may only present one late breaker abstract at the conference. The late breaker abstract submission will be open from 24 April to 15 May 2017.

An abstract consists of a title, author list and the abstract text. It can also include tables or graphs/images. Literature references should not be included.

The abstract text should be structured as follows:

• Background: indicate the purpose and objective of the research, the hypothesis that was tested or a description of the problem being analysed or evaluated.
• Methods: describe the study period / setting / location, study design, study population, data collection and methods of analysis used.
• Results: present as clearly and as much in detail as possible the findings / outcome of the study. Please summarize any specific results.
• Conclusions: explain the significance of your findings / outcomes of the study for HIV prevention, treatment, care and/or support, and future implications of the results.

Before submitting an abstract, you are asked to create a Conference Profile. One or several abstracts can be submitted through the Conference Profile.

To submit abstracts, please login into your Conference Profile on and click on the "Abstract Submission" field in the Overview-tab. You will then see a link to enter into the abstract submission system.
In the abstract submission system, please follow the steps 1-4 to create and submit your abstract:

1. Select the track, category and country of research; enter your abstract title and text
2. Enter the presenting author and co-authors (individually)
3. Preview your abstract and check format and correctness
4. Submit your abstract

To navigate the abstract submission system, please use the next step buttons or the upper menu bar. For detailed instructions about the abstract submission system, please click on "HELP" in the upper menu bar in the abstract submission system.

After an abstract has been created, modifications can be made at any time until the submission deadline. After submission, the abstract submitter will receive a confirmation email. This email will contain the abstract reference number. Please refer to this reference number in all communications.

After an abstract has been created through the online Conference Profile, modifications can be made (even after submission) until the deadline. After making your modifications, you need to submit your abstract. No modification will be accepted after the submission deadline.

A good abstract title is short, specific, representative and informative. It helps the reviewers categorize your abstract, and if accepted, it may help conference delegates find your session. The title should summarize your abstract without going into excessive details. Describe the topic clearly, including, for example, the population, country and issue of the research.

It is possible, but not mandatory, to include tables or graphs/images in the abstract. A maximum of two tables/graphs in total can be included. A graph/image (in JPG, GIF or PNG with ideally 600 dpi) counts as 50 words and a table counts as 5 words per row (50 words maximum).

Please create your table or upload your graph/image following the instructions in the abstract submission system. Place the table or graph/image into your abstract text and save the changes. Review the abstract preview-page to ensure that your table or graph/image displays properly.

There is no limit to the number of co-authors per abstract, although we strongly recommend the use of a Study Group Name for abstracts with a high number of co-authors. A person can be listed as a co-author if he/she meets ALL the following criteria:

1. made substantial contributions to concept and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data,
2. drafted the abstract or revised it for intellectual content,
3. approved the final version to be submitted.

If the abstract is accepted, the presenting authors are asked to disclose all financial and personal relationships between themselves and others that might be perceived by others as biasing their work. The conference organizer asks that all presenting authors disclose any conflict of interest at the time of presentation for the benefit of conference delegates. The purpose of this is to guarantee that all potential conflicts of interest are recognized and mechanisms to resolve them prior to the conference are implemented.

Material presented in abstracts should not violate any copyright laws. If figures/graphics/images have been taken from sources not copyrighted by the author, it is the author's sole responsibility to secure the rights from the copyright holder in writing to reproduce those figures/graphics/images for both worldwide print and web publication. All reproduction costs charged by the copyright holder must be borne by the author.

All submitted abstracts will go through a blind peer-review process carried out by an international review committee. Each abstract will be reviewed by at least three reviewers. The Conference Coordinating Committee makes the final selection of abstracts to be included in the conference programme.

Abstracts can be selected for oral presentation, in oral abstract sessions, or to be presented as a poster. A small number of highest-scoring posters are selected for presentation in oral poster discussion sessions; the majority of the posters will be displayed in the Poster Exhibition.

The methodology or study design presented in your abstract should be appropriate to address the purpose and objectives. Results should be clearly presented and support the conclusions. In addition, the findings should contribute to the advancement of knowledge and development in the field. If English is not your native language, we strongly recommend that you have your abstract reviewed by a native English speaker working in your field before submission.

You may check the common reasons for abstract rejection on the abstract submission guidelines. You may also review examples of abstracts from previous conferences.

Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent to the submitting (corresponding) author by the end of March.

To obtain certificates on abstracts accepted to the conference, please contact [email protected].

Authors of abstracts selected for Oral Poster Discussion Sessions and Poster Exhibition are invited to upload an electronic poster (e-poster). The e-posters will be published on the conference website. Instructions for preparing and uploading the e-posters will be sent to selected abstract authors via email.

The submission of the abstract constitutes the authors’ consent to publish. If the abstract is accepted, the authors agree that their abstract can be published under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0). The license allows third parties to share the published work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it for any purposes, under the condition that IAS 2017 and authors are given credit, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear. Authors retain the copyright of their abstracts, with first publication rights granted to the IAS.

An electronic abstract book will be available free of charge on the conference website.

If accepted, your abstract may be published on IAS websites, such as the IAS 2017 online programme, and other conference materials, the IAS abstract archive, the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS), etc.

Applicants were able to request all or some of the following grants to attend IAS 2017:

• Conference registration fee (includes access to all sessions and exhibitions)
• Travel (pre-paid airfare at the lowest fare available, from the nearest international airport)
• Accommodation (in a budget hotel for the days of the conference)
• Modest daily living allowance for the conference duration (23-26 July 2017)

Please note that the level of support requested may not have been the level of support granted. Full scholarships were only awarded in a limited number of cases. In all cases individuals are required to cover the cost of their hotel incidental expenses, meals, visa applications fees and other additional expenses.

As media registration is free, media representatives were not able to request registration as part of their application, but were registered by the Scholarship Department if they were awarded a media scholarship.

If you have linked your abstract to your scholarship application and your abstract is selected for IAS 2017, you may have been awarded a scholarship.

Scholarship applications linked to abstracts are considered based on the quality of the abstract, and the scholarship is connected to the abstract, not the individual. If the presenting author changes, the scholarship is cancelled unless a request is made to transfer the grant(s) to the new presenter. Please note that if the new presenting author has already incurred costs for travel, accommodation or registration, these will not be reimbursed. The deadline for scholarship transfer requests was 29 May 2017.

Please note that acceptance of an abstract to be presented at the conference does not guarantee a scholarship. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to seek alternative funding.

Upon making your reservation, you will receive an acknowledgement email specifying your reservation details. Please ensure you enter your contact email address correctly and make sure you fully complete the final step of the reservation process by accepting the Terms & Conditions and clicking on the Submit button. If you do not receive an acknowledgement email (in your inbox or junk mail folder) within 24 hours, please contact us to verify if the reservation has been successfully received.

The hotel may have recently sold out or we do not have rooms available on particular dates that you are searching for (e.g. if you are looking for an early arrival or late departure). Please email us at [email protected] with the hotel name and your requested check-in/check-out dates so that we can check availability for you.

Daily breakfast is included in the rate. Other meals are not included.

There are two common reasons why your credit card payment may be declined:

1. Your bank/credit card company is blocking the charge. Banks often block foreign charges for security reasons. In this case, you need to confirm with them that the charge by A111 Power of Conference Service in Vancouver, Canada is authorized and should be allowed by them. After they have authorized the transaction, you can try making your booking again.
2. Your billing address is incorrect. If your billing address is different from your conference profile address, please click the ‘Billing Address’ checkbox when entering your credit card information. This will allow you to enter an alternate address.

A deposit payment of 400 USD is required in order to hold your booking and full payment is due by June 1, 2017. Reservations that have not been paid in full will be cancelled at this deadline.

You will receive an acknowledgement email with your booking details and credit card payment information immediately after submitting your reservation.

Invoices/payment confirmations are issued regularly and are sent to the email address provided in your conference profile after payment has been received. Please note that payments made via bank transfer and AMEX can take approximately a week before they are received to our account.

To pay your remaining balance by credit card, please refer to the acknowledgement email you received immediately after you made your booking. Within this email, you will find a Request for Change link/button which will allow you to make changes and pay your remaining balance by credit card. Please click on the Make a Payment button at the top, right of the screen. You will then enter a secure credit card payment screen where you can pay your balance.

If you no longer have your acknowledgement email, you can request another by following these steps:

1. Sign in to your conference profile
2. Under the Accommodation Booking tab, follow the Click here to add or edit accommodation link
3. Click the Existing Reservation button on the top, left corner
4. Enter your email address and last name. A new acknowledgement email will then be sent to you.

A111 Power of Conference Service LTD.
Bank name and address:
Royal Bank of Canada.
PO Box 700 – 200 Birch Ave
100 Mile House, BC
V0K 2E0 Canada
Branch: 003
Account No: 4001095
Swift/BIC: ROYCCAT2
Local Clearing Code/Transit code: 04120

Please mention as payment reference: IAS 2017, delegate name, and reservation ID.

Payment at the hotel is not possible. Full pre-payment is required by June 1, 2017 and unpaid and partially paid reservations will be cancelled at this deadline.

To makes changes to your reservation, please refer to the acknowledgement email you received immediately after you made your booking. Within this email, you will find a Request for Change link/button to make changes to your reservation.

Changes can be made online till June 1, 2017. After this date all changes need to be done by email to the IAS 2017 Accommodation Department.

If you no longer have your acknowledgement email, you can request another by following these steps:

1. Sign in to your conference profile
2. Under the Accommodation Booking tab, follow the Click here to add or edit accommodation link
3. Click the Existing Reservation button on the top, left corner
4. Enter your email address and last name. A new acknowledgement email will then be sent to you.

The IAS 2017 Accommodation Department takes all reservations and provides the specific details and guest names to the hotels just prior to the conference, which is why your reservation will not yet appear in the hotel’s system. You can make changes to your booking via the Request for Change link/button in your acknowledgement email or by contacting us directly – [email protected].

If booking online, payment is by credit card only (in USD) at the time of booking. Bookings taken on-site at the Tours Desk can be paid by credit card or cash in USD. Please have exact change when paying in cash.

We recommend early booking as the tour of your choice might either be full or get cancelled if not enough participants sign up. Booking early ensures we know which tours delegates would like to go to and guarantees a spot for you.

Go to the Tours page on the IAS 2017 website: www.ias2017.org/Book-a-Tour and click on a Tour to see a full description/itinerary.

Tours can only be booked for one person at a time. Only the post-conference tours with an overnight stay can be book for 2 people (you and your partner) at the same time.

Pick-up point for all Tours during the conference (22-26 July) is at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. We will meet 15 min. prior to departure at the Tours Desk and take the group from there to the bus.  The drop-off point will also be at the Palais des Congrès. Please ensure you are on time at the meeting point as the buses will leave as scheduled. There will be no refund or compensation if you miss a tour because you are late.

Meeting point for the post-conference tours (27-28 July) will be near by the  Palais des Congrès in Paris, France. Exact point will be noted on your voucher, which we kindly ask you to collect during the conference from the Tours Desk.

Please collect your voucher from the Tours Desk prior to the Tour. The time will be indicated on the voucher. Please collect your voucher at least a day before the tour takes place. All meeting times are 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the Tour. Please ensure you are there on time, as we will leave the meeting point early to board the bus parked outside. There will be no refund or compensation if you miss a tour because you are late.

No, the available tours are listed on the website.

Yes you can - book in the normal way online on the IAS 2017 website (www.ias2017.org/Book-a-Tour), and just add your wife's name as the guest, or you can book on-site at the Tours Desk.

It should not be a problem for you to all travel together but you should note this in special requests at the time of booking, giving details of the other Booking Reference numbers.  You may also email the tours department ([email protected]) which guests want to travel together.

Volunteers make a vital contribution to the effective running of the conference, so whether you are young or old, specialist in the HIV/AIDS response or willing to volunteer for a good cause, IAS 2017 is a good opportunity for you to participate.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old (as of 19 July 2017), fluent in English and be able to commit to a minimum of three half-day shifts from 22 July to 26 July 2017.

Volunteers will have access to the daily conference sessions when not on duty (usually volunteers get a morning or an afternoon shift). They will receive a volunteer T-shirt and a free lunch. Furthermore, volunteers will have the possibility to gain international experience at the world's largest scientific conference on HIV/AIDS. Volunteers who completed their mission are also offered 1 year free IAS membership.

A Certificate of Appreciation will be downloadable after the conference through the online volunteer portal for the volunteers who participated to the conference.

An online volunteer application form is available on the volunteer page of the conference website. Applications will be accepted through this online form only. Applications by email, fax, or letter will be refused.

1. The volunteer must complete the online form available here. Once submitted, he/she receives an email confirming that the application has been received
2. The application will be checked by the Volunteer Team: the volunteer receives an email sumarizing his/her personal details and availabilities. Please note that volunteer aplications can be refused.
3. The Volunteer Team proposes a schedule to the accepted volunteer: the volunteer receives an email informing him/her that a schedule is proposed to him/her. He/she is informed of his/her online portal sign in details, and he/she is invited to review the schedule proposal by connecting to the online volunteer portal.
4. The volunteer connects to the online volunteer portal to review his/her schedule and accepts or declines the tasks/slots that have been proposed to him/her. He/she receives a email sumarizing the schedule he/she confirmed
5. In case of need, the volunteer program team could potentialy propose to complete the volunteer's schedule if not full, or change some activities later on. In both case, the volunteer receive an email to inform him/her that he/she needs to connect to the online portal to review it.

The applications close on the 31 May 2017. It might close earlier in case full capacity is reached before. We recommend you to apply as soon as possible

The IAS Volunteer Team will start reviewing applications in May and will then notify successful applicants.

Volunteers who have a maximum availability to volunteer from 19 to 26 July 2017 will be prioritized. The kick off meeting and the training is mandatory for all volunteers (21 July 2017, 16:00-19:30)

The scheduling process will start end of May 2017. Depending on the activity and the volunteer's approval on the schedule proposal made to him/her, the schedules are likely to be considered as final by end of June.

Volunteers from all over the world are able to apply, however persons seeking to volunteer at IAS 2017 will be required to meet French customs and immigration requirements for visitors. Unfortunately, the conference secretariat is unable to offer any financial assistance and volunteers are responsible for their own accommodation and travel costs. It is the sole responsibility of the volunteer to take care of his/her visa requirements.

If your contact details or availability change after you’ve submitted your application, please contact the IAS Volunteer Team by sending an email to [email protected] and indicate your volunteer reference number.

Each volunteer is required to attend the mandatory kick off meeting (21 July 2017, 16:00-19:30). The volunteers will be provided a generic briefing that is planned to enable volunteers to learn about the conference, the venue’s security, health and safety procedures. A role-specific training will be provided to assist volunteers with their position and tasks. During the briefing, volunteers will be provided with opportunities to ask and discuss any questions about the event or their sepecific role.

It depends on the activity for which the volunteer is selected. Activities can vary between 6 to 8 hours a day. In order to allow the volunteer to attend sessions during the day, we try to schedule volunteer shifts either in the morning (06:30-14:00) or in the afternoon (13:00-20:30).

The IAS Volunteer Team is responsible for the management of volunteers, including answering questions regarding policies, dealing with any potential complaints and grievances, delivering training to volunteers and supervisors. All volunteers are allocated a designated supervisor when volunteering at the conference. The IAS Volunteer Team will advise the volunteer of their designated supervisor whose role it is to:

• Provide day-to-day advice and guidance related to the voluntary activity
• Provide support and supervision
• Clarify priorities
• Share information, answer questions
• Discuss any issues the volunteer may have
• Identify and meet support needs
• Recognise and deal with potential problems
• Monitor and evaluate performance

You can indicate on the online volunteer Application Form that you wish to be a supervisor. The supervisor's role is to:

• Provide day-to-day advice and guidance related to the voluntary activity
• Provide support and supervision
• Clarify priorities
• Share information, answer questions
• Discuss any issues the volunteer may have
• Identify and meet support needs
• Recognise and deal with potential problems
• Monitor and evaluate performance

If the IAS Volunteer Team appoints you as a supervisor, a skype interview will be organized.

Reimbursement for any expenses such as transport, accomodation, visa, per diems, etc. is not provided. The organisers will though provide 1 lunch voucher/day of activity, and water fountains for all volunteers at the volunteer center.

The Volunteer Center is the room dedicated to Volunteers. It will be based at level -1 of the Palais des Congrès. The volunteers will be invited to collect their badges at the Volunteer Center at the time slot they have been confirmed. They will also be able to find support and information if needed. The volunteer center will be reachable directly by phone during the conference.

You can find information and updates on the IAS 2017 Volunteer Programme on:

• The IAS 2017 volunteers webpage
• The IAS 2017 volunteer Facebook group
• The automatic correspondance you will receive by email at each stage of the application process (see section "What are the stages of the recruitment process" further above)
• Your personal account on the online portal (activated only once the IAS Volunteer Team proposes a schedule)

After the event the IAS Volunteer Team will distribute an online survey to evaluate both the experience of the volunteers as well as the organisation’s experience with those volunteers. All volunteers are asked to respond to this survey.

The IAS will collect, process, transfer and store volunteers personal data only for the preparation and execution of the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017) and to inform the volunteers on the 1 year free IAS membership opportunity they get as a benefit. Data protection is warranted in accordance with the Swiss Data Protection Act and the Tele Service Data Protection Act. Volunteers’ personal data will be retained securely and only be accessible on a ‘need to know’ basis by duly authorized persons at IAS. The datas will not be shared with any third party, unless the French authorities require to access to the datas for security reasons. A folder and database is maintained on all volunteers, to include their initial application and role description along with any relevant information on scheduling and notes. Volunteers are able to access their personal information freely upon request.