Annual Scientific Meetings

• To provide a platform for information flow from individual GACD projects and relevant experts to the wider GACD community.

• To facilitate knowledge sharing between project teams, Research Programmes, and working groups.

• To facilitate introductions, networking, and collaboration between researchers.

• GACD projects that are or have been active (and/or receiving funds) in the year of the event are invited to the Annual Scientific Meeting, using the allocated budget within their grant to fund travel and accommodation.

• Each project team is invited to send two delegates – at least one must be from a low- or middle-income country and/or a member of an Indigenous community.

• GACD projects that completed before the year of the event are also welcome to attend but must be self-funded.

• Since 2025, alumni from GACD Schools and Masterclasses who are not connected with a GACD project have also been invited to attend (although they must be self-funded).

• Representatives from GACD Associate Member funding agencies are invited to participate

• The secretariat also seeks out expert guest speakers, typically drawn from the GACD Research Network and/or the local researcher community.

Yes. GACD events are an opportunity for like-minded people and teams to exchange ideas, share experiences, and contribute to ongoing conversations in implementation science and global health. GACD are committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion across our events and activities. Please read our code of conduct here.

In addition, as part of our commitment to interpersonal levelling, all titles and postnominals are removed from the programme, Digital Delegate Handbook, and name badges. Academic cultures and the significance attached to titles vary greatly across the globe. What might be a standard form of address in one country could be perceived very differently in another. By adopting a universal policy of removing titles, we aim to foster a sensitivity to these diverse norms and create a more welcoming and equitable space for all delegates.

Over the years, the Annual Scientific Meeting has taken place in more than 10 countries, across five WHO world regions, including South Africa, China, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Thailand, and Rwanda.

In previous years, a GACD Associate Member has often hosted the Annual Scientific Meeting in their respective country, and the first step each year is to invite a host from amongst the GACD Strategy Board representatives. If this is not feasible, the GACD staff team will evaluate potential countries and cities against a range of criteria, including safety records, visa policies, ease of flight connections, LGBTQI+ equality laws, existing links to GACD (such as local project teams), and the availability of a suitable venue. The staff team endeavour to ensure the meeting rotates through a different WHO world region each year, which helps to attract a diverse group of delegates over time. The options are carefully refined before being submitted to the GACD Strategy Board for final approval.

After a country and city have been selected, we identify and evaluate potential venues. Our criteria for selection include the availability of suitable dates, capacity for our expected number of attendees, and accessibility for both local and international delegates. We also consider the venue’s sustainability practices, in-house audio-visual capabilities, and the cost-effectiveness of their packages. The venue must also be able to accommodate our specific requirements for plenary sessions, breakout rooms, and networking.

There is no obligation for delegates to stay at the selected venue. Our Annual Scientific Meeting cities offer many other nearby hotels at different budgets. Please note that any establishments noted by GACD are not in any way endorsed by GACD and are provided as examples to help with accommodation searches. We have not visited nor vetted them. Delegates should research and select their accommodation according to their own preferences.

Coming soon

🦸‍♀️ Knowledge sharing is the superpower that turns individuals into experts and teams into powerhouses

It can take many forms, such as interactive activities (working groups, mentoring), digital posts (social media, blogs), traditional dissemination (academic articles, conference presentations), creative communication (storytelling with patients), and visual-focused (infographics, videos, animations). The most effective format will be informed by the nature of the knowledge, the forum or opportunity to share, and who is intended to be involved in the sharing.

“When people share their knowledge, they create a collective pool of expertise that can be used to solve problems, innovate, and achieve goals. This can be incredibly exciting, as it can lead to new discoveries, breakthroughs, and transformations.”

- Margaret Bee, GACD’s Senior Impact & Policy Manager

The GACD Knowledge Sharing Competition is an opportunity to showcase your project or working group, or an aspect of it. All entries will be on display during the Annual Scientific Meeting for the GACD community to browse, discuss, and feedback.

There are two streams of entries:

• Stream 1 Creative Communication: This stream is all about creative ways you have communicated messages, ideas, and complex science in your GACD project, tailoring the communication format and content to a specific audience. It is an opportunity to showcase effective communication with one or more stakeholder groups. Entrants can use existing materials already developed as part of your project or create something new for this competition.

• Stream 2 Science Showcase: This stream is about showcasing the technical research aspects of your GACD project –methods, tools, application of frameworks, designing implementation strategies, analysing results, interpreting outcomes, and everything in between. Entries may focus on the project as whole or a specific aspect – e.g., your stakeholder engagement plan or how you assessed the local context.

All entries to the competition will be celebrated by the GACD community, organisers, and governance boards. The competition is about building an environment where research, innovation, and skill development are valued and supported. As such, all competition entrants will be awarded with a certificate to mark their hard work and engagement. As an extra incentive for creativity and engagement – and to encourage discussion and interaction during the Annual Scientific Meeting – prizes will be awarded. Prize winners will be announced by GACD’s Chief Executive, Morven Roberts, at the end of the Annual Scientific Meeting and will be awarded with a trophy.

🎬 Video is a powerful communication tool.

It allows for visual and auditory elements to be combined, making your message more engaging and memorable. It helps convey emotions and tone of voice – vital for complex or sensitive information. It can be easily shared and accessed online, making it a convenient way to reach a large audience. It allows for creativity in storytelling and can be used for a range of purposes, from influencing to informing to inspiring.

Since 2023, we have invited members of the Research Network to create a short film that influences, informs, or inspires your chosen audience, drawing on the work of their GACD project.

“With the GACD Film Festival, we hope to harness the creative power of films and provide an opportunity for the Research Network to flex their inventiveness in the digital world.”

- Ekow Tachie-Mensah, GACD’s Communications Officer

Short films (less than five minutes in duration) submitted to the GACD Film Festival are screened during the Annual Scientific Meeting and across our social media channels. All entries to the Film Festival are celebrated by the GACD community, organisers, and governance boards. The festival is about building an environment where creativity, innovation, and skill development are valued and supported. As such, all submissions are awarded with a certificate to mark their hard work and engagement. As an extra incentive for creativity and engagement, two prizes will be awarded. The winners of both prizes will be announced by GACD’s Chief Executive, Morven Roberts, during the formal close of the Annual Scientific Meeting.