Understanding Infectious Disease Dynamics With Mathematical Models, Statistical Methods, and Computational Tools

Public health administrators need new and improved methods and computational tools to better understand and respond to emerging and reemerging infectious diseases.

To help, NIAID has joined a long-running funding opportunity announcement (FOA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences that supports research to develop mathematical models, statistical methods, and computational tools to study interactions between infectious agents and their hosts, disease spread, prediction systems, and response strategies.

The strongest applications will approach this challenge from both sides—infectious disease research and mathematical/statistical model research.

Infectious disease research can focus on public health preparedness, surveillance and detection, disease dynamics, response strategies, antimicrobial resistance and vaccine escape, human social behavior, animals as vectors, and even virtual reality.

Your research should also focus on conceptual development of models, model verification and validation, and software dissemination to relevant public health communities. The software products you develop need to be fully documented and easy to access, modify, and extend. Additionally, the software packages should be interoperable, portable to a variety of common platforms, and consistent with existing ontologies and controlled vocabularies. You’ll need to test, verify, and maintain the products as well.

NIAID is especially interested in funding research to:

• Develop, validate, and implement mathematical and statistical models for transmitting naturally occurring infectious diseases and bioterrorism agents.
• Develop mathematical and statistical models to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions involving surveillance and containment, vaccination, antimicrobials, social distancing, and other control strategies for infectious diseases.
• Develop publicly accessible software and computational tools for the developed models and methods for studying infectious diseases that will assist public health decision makers.
• This FOA uses the R01 activity code, which means the maximum project period you can propose is five years. There is no budget cap, but make sure your application budget matches the needs of your proposed project.

Standard application due dates (including standard AIDS dates) apply. The next deadline for non-AIDS applications is October 5, 2016, and for AIDS applications it is September 7, 2016.

For complete details, read the February 22, 2016 Guide announcement. Also, check out the Models of Infectious Disease Agent StudyExternal Web Site Policy website to learn more about the program’s past outcomes and ongoing research.

NIAID’s scientific/research contact for this program is Dr. Misrak Gezmu. Contact her if you have questions about our participation in the program.

Preferred Name:	Dr Misrak Gezmu
E-mail:	misrak.gezmu@nih.gov
Location:	BG 5601FL RM 4B62 5601 FISHERS LN ROCKVILLE MD 20852
Mail Stop:	9820
Phone:	240-669-5232
Fax:	301-480-0912
IC:	NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Organization:	BIOSTATISTICS RESEARCH BRANCH (HNM93)

DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO MEASURE INDIVIDUAL DIETARY INTAKE ( BMGF)

Grant purpose - To fund the development of two new forms of dietary assessment technology, based on image capture and, possibly, image recognition and field testing to validate new technology against reference dietary intake assessment methods.

Image recognition software should be applied, if possible, to identify foods consumed. Food intake and food composition data should be linked to enable conversion of food intake to nutrient intake. Technology must be appropriate for a LIC setting. 

Key Funding Criteria 

• Field testing in at least one LIC in Asia and/or sub-Saharan Africa
• Demonstrated track record of successful projects in this area 
• Appropriateness of proposed dietary intake assessment technology for low-income settings (for example, in settings that do not have electricity or internet connection) and are socially acceptable

Budget - Submissions up to $1,500,000.00 USD in funding will be considered.


Duration - grant duration of less than two and a half years

Geographic area - Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, LIC settings ( both rural and urban settings) 

For more details - http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/General-Information/Grant-Opportunities/Innovative-Technology-RFP 

Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars

The Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars provides supportive mentorship, research opportunities and a collaborative research environment for early stage investigators from the U.S. and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), to enhance their global health research expertise and their careers. 

Fogarty is currently seeking applications for consortia to develop and support global health research training programs. Applicants should form a consortium that may include up to 4 U.S. academic institutions and six or more additional collaborating institutions or research project sites in LMICs.

Fogarty will fund up to five consortia to develop and support global health research training programs that meet the following objectives:

• Provide mentored research training for pre-doctoral and pre-professional degree students and post-doctoral and recent post-professional degree students (trainees) from the U.S. and low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) in global health research at established biomedical and health research sites in LMICs, particularly those supported by the NIH.
• Provide all trainees with instruction and training in rigorous research design, research ethics and statistical analysis through mentored research training.
• Provide training opportunities in diverse areas of research relevant to the health priorities of collaborating LMICs and the mission areas of component NIH Institutes and Centers participating in this FOA.
• Provide knowledge and skills to prepare trainees for careers in health research.
• Strengthen global health programs at U.S. academic institutions and help to sustain health research at institutions in LMICs.

The program will provide research training opportunities in priority health areas in LMICs such as communicable diseases including HIV/AIDS; chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, blood diseases, mental health, and neurological diseases and stroke; women’s health; and behavioral and social aspects of health and illness.  Cross-cutting global health research areas are also encouraged.

Deadline - August 16, 2016,

Budget - Application budgets are limited to up to $1.1 million direct costs/year per award

Duration - up to 5 years 

More information  - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-TW-16-002.html 

Advance Notice - Grand Challenges Explorations

The Grand Challenges Explorations grant program from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds discovery research. 

The initial grants of US $100,000 and there are potential follow-on grants of up to US $1 million. 

The next round of applications will open September 2016. 

To start thinking about your project take a look at the recent winners here - http://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/photo/global-health-solutions.


To find out more about the Grand Challenges go here - http://gcgh.grandchallenges.org/about 

To find out more about the Foundation go here - http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ 

Joint SEARO/TDR Small Grants Scheme

Joint SEARO/TDR Small Grants Scheme for Implementation Research in Infectious Diseases of Poverty

Research priorities 

All proposals should address key public health challenges related to infectious diseases of poverty as tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and other emerging infectious diseases.

Approaches should be in a areas of -

Implementation research on factors required for improved effectiveness, efficiency and appropriate adoption of new and existing interventions and public health delivery models.

 Innovative approaches to engaging health professionals in delivering services both in public and private sectors.

Innovative ways to stimulate health systems approach and sustain community demand for and participation in major public health interventions.

Research on feasible interventions to increase case detection and access to public health facilities as well as evidence of antimicrobial resistance.

 Knowledge gap related to an operational/programmatic issue that has a direct policy and programmatic relevance.

Health systems, health service delivery, community-based approaches or qualitative research topics in the context of the diseases listed above.

Social, economic and behavioral research that examines social determinants or their interaction and co-morbidity with non-communicable diseases.

Budget - up to US$ 15 000

Deadline - 20 June 2016

Eligibility - applicants must be from  low- and middle-income countries of the WHO South-East Asia (SEARO) Region ( Thailand is in this region)

More information - http://www.who.int/tdr/grants/SEARO-TDR_SGS_call_2016.pdf?ua=1

Application form - http://www.who.int/entity/tdr/grants/RO-Small-Grant-Appl-Form-web.docx?ua=1

NIH Grant - Partnerships for Countermeasures Against Select Pathogens (R01)

This grant provides funding for milestone-driven preclinical research that will advance the development and/or production of lead therapeutics, vaccines or medical diagnostics for select Emerging Infectious Diseases/Pathogens. 

All projects must have investment by at least one industry participant. Industry means a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, bioengineering, or chemical company. 

The list of Emerging Infectious Diseases/Pathogens is here - https://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/BiodefenseRelated/Biodefense/Pages/CatA.aspx. 

The list  includes  dengue, melioidosis, diarrheagenic E.coli and chikungunya virus.

Study can be in the areas of - 

Therapeutics

Must focus on previously-identified, well-characterized, candidate leads or lead candidate series and/or targets for the following select pathogen categories:

Vaccines 

Projects must focus on development of a candidate vaccine aligned with one of the following categories:

Multivalent/Universal Vaccines

Therapeutic Vaccines

Vaccines with Small Market Potential


Diagnostics 

Proposed diagnostics must align to one of the following programmatic diagnostic priorities:

Diagnostics that Facilitate Antibacterial Stewardship

Diagnostics for Zika Virus (ZIKV)


Budget - Budgets for direct costs of up to $750,000 per year may be requested.


Duration -  The maximum project period is 5 years.


Eligibility - Foreign (non-USA) Institutions are eligible to apply.


Deadline - October 3, 2016


Full details - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-16-034.html 

Emerging Global Leader Award (K43)

The Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award provides research support and protected time to a research scientist from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) with a junior faculty position at an LMIC academic or research institution.  This intensive, mentored research career development experience is expected to lead to an independently funded research career. The award will provide salary and research project support.  Awardees are expected to increase their capabilities in advanced research methodology, analysis and data management, research administrative skills, responsible conduct of research, scientific presentation, publication and grants writing. 

Eligibility 

You must - 

• be a researcher in a therapeutic or scientific area of health priority for Thailand 
• have a full-time role with the Faculty 
• not have residence or citizenship in the US or another high income country 
• have at least a Master's, PhD is much preferred 
• currently hold an academic junior (mid-level) faculty position or research scientist appointment 
• have ( or be able to get) a mentor in the US and one in Thailand 
• have not yet received independent grant funding 
• have a clear project idea
• demonstrate a commitment to a research career 

Duration 

Between 3 and 5 years 

Budget and support 

The award will  - 

• pay salary and fringe benefits up to $75,000/year. (The salary must be consistent with salaries actually provided by the institution from its own funds)
• contribute $30,000  per year toward the research development costs of the award recipient

Research development costs include, but are not limited to, supplies, equipment, technical personnel, tuition or registration fees for activities related to the proposed career development plan, fees for statistical and computational services, and travel to research sites, research meetings, or training

You will also receive the benefit of structured mentioning and career guidance 

Details 

Deadline - December 14, 2016;

Full information and how to apply - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-15-292.html