NIH Planning Grant for Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program, 2019
Open date: 12 Oct 2019
Application closing date: 12 Nov 2019
The overall intent of this funding opportunity is to support a LMIC-US collaborative planning process that will prepare faculty and design advanced courses and resources for a research training program to enhance capacity at LMIC institutions to conduct research directly related to prevention, treatment and control of infectious diseases causing major morbidity and mortality. Infectious diseases continue to impose a tremendous health burden in resource-poor countries throughout the world, claiming millions of lives annually and inflicting severe morbidity that results in significant losses in economic productivity and social progress. Attempts to control infectious diseases endemic to low and middle income countries (LMICs) suffer due to an incomplete understanding of the pathogens, disease manifestations and transmission mechanisms, inadequate preventive measures and interventions, and insufficient health services and disease control efforts. A major barrier to improved treatment and control of infectious diseases is the lack of capacity to conduct locally relevant infectious disease research, often due to the scarcity of scientists and health professionals in LMICs with relevant research expertise. Applications that include countries with little current research capacity are especially encouraged.
Purpose and Background Information
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) seeks applications for a Planning Grant for Global Infectious Disease Research Training program from LMIC research institutions. The application should propose a planning process with LMIC faculty and U.S. collaborators as well as activities to strengthen LMIC faculty, graduate student curriculum and research training resources relevant to the program to be planned. A detailed vision for a new research training program to strengthen the capacity of a LMIC institution to conduct infectious disease research that focuses on 1) major endemic or life-threatening emerging infectious diseases 2) neglected tropical diseases 3) infections that frequently occur as co-infections in HIV infected individuals or 4) infections associated with non-communicable disease conditions of public health importance in LMICs should be proposed.
FIC will support the planning of innovative research training programs that are designed to build sustainable infectious disease research capacity at an institution in an endemic LMIC. Sustainable infectious disease research capacity is known to require a critical mass of scientists and health research professionals with in-depth scientific expertise and complementary leadership skills that enable the institution to conduct independent, internationally-recognized infectious disease research relevant to the health priorities of their country. To integrate innovative research training approaches and create sustainable outcomes during the planning period, awards will support activities to strengthen LMIC faculty leadership and new research training skills as well as prepare advanced scientific didactic and methodology courses and training resources for the envisioned program that do not currently exist at the LMIC institution.
The objectives of the Planning Grant for the Global Infectious Disease Research Training program are:
- To assess the existing research and research training capacity for a new infectious disease scientific area at the LMIC applicant institution directly relevant to the LMIC health priorities;
- Based on this assessment, to develop a detailed vision and strategies for implementing an innovative research training and career enhancement program for multiple scientists and health research professionals to strengthen the applicant LMIC institution's capacity to conduct independent, sustainable infectious disease research;
-To identify the research training resources, faculty development, scientific environment contributions and administrative processes needed to undertake such a research training program;
-To increase leadership and innovative research teaching and grant writing skills of the LMIC faculty who will implement the envisioned program;
-To design and prepare or pilot advanced scientific didactic and methodology courses and research training resources for the envisioned program;
-To define a pool of the best potential LMIC trainees that can be recruited and the selection process for future research training;
-To define the collaborations and roles of all LMIC and U.S. individual and institutional partners for an effective organizational structure that will support the envisioned research training program; and
-To organize a process to submit a collaborative application to the Global Infectious Disease Research Training program (D43) FOA to support the research training planned
For more information, or to apply, visit the call webpage.
