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EMPOWER is a five-year program with the goal of preventing new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections in targeted populations in PEPFAR priority districts in Malawi. EMPOWER will strive to increase use of proven, high impact, HIV prevention interventions by high-risk and underserved populations. A further objective is to identify undiagnosed HIV-infected persons (HIV case-finding) and link them to life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART). Through EMPOWER, USAID plans to award up to five cooperative agreements to implement four related HIV prevention components: (1) Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC); (2) DREAMS Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Services and HIV Case-Finding (3) Comprehensive Condom Programming (CCP). Up to two awards are anticipated to implement component 1 and one or more each to implement components 2, and 3. Multiple components could be combined under one larger award.

The effects of the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak have shown that epidemics and pandemics cannot be managed on a solely national level; instead, the global framework needs to be taken into account. To be better prepared for the diverse aspects of global waves of infection, it is essential to support wide-ranging research across different disciplines. In addition to investigating the current pandemic, it is important to identify fundamental research questions that produce generalizable scientific findings. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is therefore issuing a call for a multidisciplinary funding initiative. Funding is available for projects addressing the prevention, early detection, containment and investigation of the causes, impacts and management of epidemics and pandemics, taking the example of SARS-CoV-2 and other microorganisms and viruses that are pathogenic to humans.