IAS–USA Funding Sources and Industry Interactions

IAS–USA funding comes from a variety of sources. The largest single source of revenue is conference and CME participant registration fees.

Other funding sources include grants and subcontracts from government agencies, grants from ineligible companies (those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients), private donations, and gifts-in-kind from local community businesses and individuals.

The funding support that IAS–USA accepts from ineligible companies is only for selected activities. IAS–USA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. Our national CME efforts invite funding in the form of educational grants from ineligible companies. Per IAS–USA policy, any effort that uses grants from ineligible companies must receive grants from several companies with competing products. Funds are pooled and distributed to activities within the effort at the sole discretion of the IAS–USA. Ineligible companies who fund our programs have no input into any activity, including its content, development, or selection of topics or speaker(s). Funders are listed in each activity as applicable.

Funding support from ineligible companies enhances the educational benefits for our audience and improves health care for the public. To ensure the establishment of relationships with ineligible companies without compromising accepted ethical and educational standards, the IAS–USA endorses and conforms to the following statements and opinions that have been issued on this subject:

By policy, certain IAS–USA activities, such as Guidelines, do not allow commercial support.

Program Development and Funding Support

The first 3 above-mentioned guidelines and statements alone may not ensure the complete independence of any CME activity funded in any part by ineligible companies. For this reason, IAS–USA has created additional, rigorous internal policies that govern any activity that may invite funding support from ineligible companies. These policies can be found here and, along with policies stated essentially include:

  • Absolutely no single-company financial support is permitted for any IAS–USA activity.
  • Individuals who participate in marketing or promotional activities for ineligible companies (eg, paid lectures for ineligible companies) may not participate in IAS–USA general educational and informational activities.
  • Before medical professionals can create or present content for IAS–USA programs, they must disclose all relationships, financial or otherwise, with all ineligible companies.
  • The content and recommendations of all IAS–USA activities are subject to independent peer review.

IAS–USA does not invite or accept any advertising revenue (eg, in any venue, including the journal and the website) or commercial exhibit revenue (eg, at CME courses or Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections) nor participate in any product or ineligible company promotion.