PROJECT SUMMARY Despite years of antiretroviral therapy, viral reservoirs persist in individuals living with HIV-1, resulting in viral rebound if treatment is interrupted. Difficulties of sustained life ‐long treatment in the millions of people living with HIV worldwide, with a significant burden in sub-Saharan Africa, necessitates research that moves us closer to a sterilizing or functional cure for HIV. Sub-Saharan Africa shoulders a disproportionate burden of the HIV epidemic globally, making it an important region in which to conduct HIV cure research. Yet most potential therapeutic strategies are not being designed or tested with most people living with HIV in mind . There is an urgent need to bring novel insights and approaches rooted in Africa into HIV cure research to address African HIV subtypes, the unique biologic characteristics of African female and male populations, and other pressing, but neglected, research areas. The goal of this proposal is to expand the capacity of the AFRICURE program to recruit, mentor, and support early- and mid-career African investigators to address Africa-specific biologic, therapeutic, and implementation issues in HIV cure research. The AFRICURE program will be integrated into the JHU CFAR Development Core and coordinated through the Inter-CFAR Sub- Saharan Africa Working Group. The program will award one-year, mentored developmental awards to promising early- and mid-career African investigators to conduct HIV cure research projects. The specific aims are to: 1) identify and recruit early- and mid-career African investigators to conduct innovative HIV cure research in Africa; 2) provide mentorship and career development for African HIV cure investigators ; and 3) evaluate the impact of the AFRICURE program. We will identify and recruit exceptional early- and mid-career African investigators, with a focus on individuals representing diverse backgrounds, experiences, and geographical locations within the region. The program will foster mentorship collaborations between the selected African investigators and established HIV cure researchers across CFARs in the United States and research institutions in Africa, facilitating knowledge exchange and skill development. We will evaluate the impact of the program on the careers of early- and mid-career African investigators, institutional capacities and infrastructure to conduct HIV cure research, and contributions to scientific advancement and the integration of African perspectives in HIV cure research strategies. The AFRICURE program addresses the critical need for inclusivity and diversity in HIV cure research by fostering a new generation of African investigators. Through collaborative efforts, this program aims to contribute to advancing HIV cure strategies that are contextu ally relevant to the diverse populations most affected by the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.