NIH: Development of Novel Therapeutics for Select Anaerobic Protozoa (R21/R33)

NIH has announced a grant for the Development of Novel Therapeutics for Select Anaerobic Protozoa, an initiative that encourages the discovery, preclinical development and/or validation of novel interventions for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by select anaerobic protozoa (amebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis and diseases caused by free-living amoebae).

Early stage translational and/or pre-clinical projects may include but are not limited to:

• Identification of drug targets and drug candidates, including (where appropriate) drug targets and drug candidates that are effective against the cyst form of a pathogen.
• Studies on the mechanism(s) of action and/or mechanism(s) of resistance that would promote the development of novel interventions.
• Identification of drug candidates with a superior profile to existing therapies (for example, potency, safety, efficacy against resistant strains, parasiticidal activity).
• Studies of novel formulations or drug combinations with a superior profile (as described above) to existing therapies.
• Identification of drug candidates with broad spectrum activity against anaerobic protozoa.
• Identification of mammalian host targets for the development of interventions.

The total project period for an application submitted in response to this FOA cannot exceed five years. Awards will support milestone-driven exploratory/feasibility “proof-of-concept” studies (two-year R21 phase), with possible rapid transition to expanded development (three-year R33 phase).

Key dates:

• Letter of intent due date: 30 September
• Application due date: 30 October
• Earliest project start date: July 2015

Funds:

• R21:
• 2 year project, direct costs up to USD 275,000 total, and maximum USD 200,000 direct costs in any single year
• R33:
• 3 year project, direct costs up to USD 300,000 total

To read the full RFA, please click here. If you are interested in applying to this grant, please contact Paul, Tim, or Glad at ORS.

NIH Call for Applications – International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) (K01) – PAR-13-072

NIH has announced a call for applications for an International Research Scientist Development Award, which aims to develop young researchers’ careers by providing them with research experience in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This award is only for U.S. citizens who hold a research or health-professional doctoral degree and have at least two years of research experience beyond their doctoral degree. This is an opportunity to invite U.S. colleagues to conduct collaborative projects at FTM, as 50% of the grant period must be spent in LMICs, and they must have both U.S. and LMIC mentors.

The objective of this award is to prepare qualified individuals for research careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) NIH invites K01 applications from biomedical, epidemiological, clinical, biostatistical, social and behavioral scientists in the formative stages of their research careers.

Program Overview

The International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) provides support and protected time (three to five years) to advanced postdoctoral (at least two years beyond conferral of doctoral degree) U.S. research scientists for an intensive, mentored research career development experience leading to an independent research career focused on global health.

Funds:

NIH will contribute up to USD 75,000  per year towards the salary of the recipient, plus applicable fringe benefits.

NIH will contribute up to USD 30,000 per year toward research development costs of the recipient.

Key Dates:

• March 4, 2015
• Earliest start Date: December 2015
• Project duration: Maximum 5 years

If you have a U.S. colleague that you would like to conduct a collaborative project with, we urge you to contact them and start planning the application. Please be aware that the submitting institution would have to be the U.S. based one. If you are interested, or have further questions, please contact Paul, Tim, or Glad at ORS. 

Register as an Expert at Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 is the largest EU funding initiative to date, with nearly 80 billion EUR available for researchers from any country working in any field over the next six years. There are regular calls for medical proposals, and this blog will stay updated with relevant opportunities for Faculty staff. To get a better insight into the Horizon 2020 funding process, and to build/expand your European professional network, we urge Faculty staff to sign up as Independent Experts for European Research and Innovation. Since Horizon 2020 grants typically require a European collaborator, this is a very easy and effective way to build your network and develop your insight into the world of European funding.

What do expert assignments involve?
Experts are essentially independent peer reviewers, and will be asked to assist with:

• Evaluation of proposals
• Monitoring of actions
• Assist with preparation, implementation, or evaluation of programmes and design of policies. 

Why should I register?
By registering as an expert, you may be invited to evaluate proposals from other researchers, giving you several benefits:

• Useful insights in the selection criteria of Horizon 2020 funding opportunities, improving your own chances of success
• Connecting you with other researchers around the world working in your field

Who can be an expert?
You can be selected as an expert if you:

• Have high-level expertise in a relevant field of research and innovation
• Are available for occasional, short-term assignments

How do I register as an expert?

Registering is easy – simply go to the Horizon 2020 Participant Portal, and click on the Work as an Expert icon, and follow the instructions. You will be asked to create an ECAS account, which you will use when you will submit a grant proposal to Horizon 2020 in the future, and to describe your areas of expertise.
To read more about Horizon 2020, or to see current funding opportunities, click on the link above. If you have any questions about Horizon 2020, or anything else related to international funding, please contact Paul, Tim, or Glad at the Office of Research Services.

NIH/NIAID Development of Novel Therapeutics for Select Anaerobic Protozoa (R21/R33)

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number RFA-AI-14-015

Funding Opportunity Purpose 

The purpose of this FOA is to solicit applications to support early stage translational research focused on the development of novel therapeutics against select anaerobic protozoal pathogens.

Purpose/Research Objectives

Treatment of infectious diseases caused by anaerobic protozoal pathogens is compromised by limited effective therapeutic options and/or development of resistance. There is a critical need for development of new therapeutic approaches to treat these clinically-important diseases, including novel approaches such as small molecule antimicrobials and/or adjunctive therapeutics targeting resistance mechanisms. This initiative encourages the discovery, preclinical development and/or validation of novel interventions for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by select anaerobic protozoa (amebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis and diseases caused by free-living amoebae).

Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) September 30, 2014

Letter of Intent Due Date September 30, 2014

Application Due Date October 30, 2014, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization

Earliest Start Date July 2015

Foreign Institutions Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.

Activity Code R21/R33 Phased Innovation Award

Award Budget

R21 Phase: 2 two years

Direct costs are limited to $275,000 over the 2 years; a maximum of $200,000 in direct costs is allowed in any single year.

R33 Phase: Direct costs are limited to $300,000 per year and cannot exceed 3 years. 

Consortia F&A (Indirect Costs/Overheads) are not included in the direct costs. 

The NIAID anticipates that a maximum of 50% of the funded R21 phase awards will progress to the R33 award.

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

·         Descriptive title of proposed activity

·         Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)

·         Names of other key personnel

·         Participating institution(s)

·         Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Annie Walker-Abbey, PhD
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Telephone: 301-451-2671
Fax: 301-480-2408
Email: aabbey@niaid.nih.gov

If you want more information about the grant opportunity or need help with your application, please contact us at the Office of Research Services:

Paul: paul.ada@mahidol.ac.th  

Glad: gladgeorge.rot@mahidol.ac.th 

Tim: timothyjohn.col@mahidol.ac.th 

Tel; 023069125 or 023069126

Wellcome Trust Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine – All career levels

Wellcome Trust currently offers Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine for researchers at all levels of their career, through four Fellowship programs:

1. Master's Level Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• For Junior Researchers
• Application Deadline: 15 August, 2014
• Duration: Maximum 30 Months
• Funds: Click Link above for details
2. Training Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• For Early-stage Researchers
• Application Deadline: 31 October, 2014
• Duration: Maximum 3 years
• Funds: Research Related Costs, excluding salary: 30,000GBP/Year
3. Intermediate Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• For Mid-career Researchers
• Application Deadline: 31 October, 2014
• Duration: Maximum 5 years
• Funds: Research related costs, excluding salary: 60,000GBP/Year
4. Senior Fellowship in Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• For Established Researchers
• Application Deadline: 19 September, 2014
• Duration: Maximum 5 years
• Funds: Research related costs, excluding salary: 100,000GBP/Year

These fellowships are specifically aimed towards nationals and legal residents in low- and middle-income countries, who wish to conduct research aimed at understanding and improving public health and tropical medicine of local, national, and global relevance. Topics include:

• Demographic, social science, and health economic studies
• Healthcare systems and policy research
• Epidemiological, field and community-based studies
• Measurement of infectious and chronic disease burden
• Population studies
• Clinical trials and case-control studies
• Determinants of disease susceptibility and resistance
• Immunity or resistance in natural hosts or vectors

Please click the links above for full details for each Fellowship level, and to read more about the application process. Application process differs depending on the level of the Fellowship, but most require a preliminary application to be submitted first. Successful candidates are then invited to submit a full proposal.

If you are interested in applying for any of these fellowships, have any questions about eligibility, application process, or anything else, please contact Paul, Tim, or Glad at the Office of Research Services.

REMINDER: Malaria Consortium KAP Survey, request for proposal, deadline July 4th, 16:00

Background:

Malaria Consortium (MC) has recently announced a request for proposals to conduct the data collection for the Thailand Malaria KAP survey 2014.

The KAP Survey 2014 will provide useful information on what the KAP of Thai citizens and migrant/mobile populations are and, along with data collected in 2012, indicate how KAP is changing over time. This data will be used by partner organisations to tailor interventions to achieve maximum impact among these populations. The KAP also provides data on specific performance indicators that will help organisations evaluate contributions to malaria elimination in Thailand.

Project needs:

MC will be responsible for overall study design; ethical approval; data analysis; and report-writing for the KAP Survey 2014. MC will, however, hire a firm/institution to execute the data collection portion of the study. Specifically, the firm/institution will:

• Propose a methodology for data collection, based on the questionnaire provided by MC. The bidder is free to suggest any method of data collection; however, MC would prefer electronic means, where the bidder shall be responsible for obtaining and programming the device to be used.
• Undertake training of data collection staff under the supervision of MC.
• Pilot the final questionnaires under the supervision of MC.
• Obtain household lists for all villages/clusters in the final sample.
• Coordinate with local health officials to conduct community sensitization and data collection.
• Conduct data collection in the field using the questionnaire, under the supervision of MC.
• Submit bi-weekly reports to update MC on progress of training, data collection, etc.
• Complete data entry training (if necessary) under the supervision of MC and undertake data entry of all completed questionnaires (if paper-based).
• Provide datasets from the data entry activities to MC.
• Ensuring completed questionnaires (if paper-based) are safely delivered to MC.

Number and location of study participants:

• 1,250 households (1 person per household) in 82 villages across Thailand
•    60 households (1 person per household) in 4 refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.

The proposal must include the following information:

• Completed technical and price components
• Company qualification & references
• Any additional services that MC should consider in the bid

Selection Criteria:

• Relevant experience of the bidder
• Qualifications and competence of the personnel proposed
• Adequacy of technical approach and proposed work plan
• Price                        
• Bid compliance to the RFP requirement

Submission:

All proposals are submitted to Mr. Alongkorn Nuanyai via Email (a.nuanyai@malariaconsortium.org) or to the following address:

Malaria Consortium Thailand (Chiang Mai Office)

268/10 Thung Hotel Soi 6

Thung Hotel Road

Watkate, Muang

Chiang Mai 50000

Important Dates:

•  The proposal/bid deadline is 4^th July, 16:00. All bids received after this time will not be considered.
• Winners will be informed within 30 days after the deadline
• Project duration: July – November 2014

Interested? The full Request for Proposal document, with more details about proposal structure can be found here.

If you have any questions, or are interested in applying, please contact Paul (paul.ada@mahidol.ac.th), Tim (tim.mahidol@gmail.com), or Glad (gladgeorge.rot@mahidol.edu) at the Office of Research Services. 

WHO consultancy on malaria

Call for applications (Ref: 2014/03)

Application deadline: 14 July 2014

The WHO Global Malaria Programme is currently looking for a consultant to work with its Diagnosis, Treatment and Vaccines Unit on a project to stimulate the creation of a private sector market for malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, the United Republic of Tanzania (mainland) and Uganda.

The consultant will be expected to conduct a review of literature on the introduction of diagnostic testing into the private sector for diseases of public health importance other than malaria, map the landscape of international or regional efforts and the activities to harmonize regulation of in vitro diagnostic tests and develop the outline of a road map for implementing quality assured RDTs. He or she will also conduct a broad review of options for field-based quality control of malaria rapid diagnostic tests, review positive control well (PCW) specifications and investigate various potential options for future PCW use in national malaria programmes.

The consultancy is to start as soon as possible for a period of six months.

Full details can be found here.