Infectious Disease Award: Understanding Dengue and Zika spread, Immunity and Clinical Outcomes

This funding call will support multidisciplinary teams to generate evidence on where dengue and Zika viruses co-circulate and investigate the implications this has on host immune responses and clinical outcomes. Research funded through this award will support global efforts to understand and predict the spread of these pathogens, especially where data are limited. Funded projects will also help to design and implement future interventions to reduce dengue and Zika’s growing burden and impact on health.

Funding Information

• Funding amount: Up to £5 million per award
• Funding duration: Between 3 to 5 years

Where you’re based?

• At least one lead applicant or coapplicant must be based in an African or Asian country that is currently experiencing a dengue and Zika outbreak or has experienced an outbreak in the past.
• Administering organisations can be based anywhere in the world apart from mainland China.

Eligibility Criteria

• The team
  • The team must:
    • Contain expertise in whole genome sequencing and analysis, and at least one of the following disciplines: epidemiology, immunology or public health.
    • Have a lead applicant or coapplicant, from an African or Asian country that is currently experiencing a dengue and Zika outbreak or has experienced an outbreak in the past.
    • Include either a lead applicant or coapplicants based in each country where the research will take place.
    • Include public health stakeholders and policymakers in the country where your research is conducted. By public health stakeholders and policymakers, they mean those who can influence decision-making around how and where potential interventions are conducted. This includes but is not limited to public health officials in national or local governments, national task forces, national or global non-governmental organisations (NGOs), advocates, affected communities or the wider public.
• Lead applicant
  • The lead applicant must:
    • Have the experience needed to drive and lead a multidisciplinary research programme addressing the research question(s).
    • Be based anywhere in the world except mainland China, with at least one coapplicant based at an institution in an African or Asian country that is currently experiencing a dengue and Zika outbreak or has experienced an outbreak in the past.
    • Be based at either a higher education institution, research institute, non-academic healthcare organisation, not-for-profit or non-governmental organisation. They will not accept lead applicants from commercial organisations.
    • Be able to contribute at least 20% of their research time to this project.
    • Only be a lead applicant on one application for this funding call.
    • Have a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract at their administering organisation. Have a salary paid by your host organisation for the duration of the award. If you are based in a low- or middle-income country, you can ask for a contribution to your salary if you hold a permanent, open-ended or long-term rolling contract and have to get your salary from external grant funding.
    • Have at least three years remaining on their contract at the point of application, or they must have secured their next position at an eligible organisation and be able to provide a letter of support.
    • Actively promote a diverse, inclusive and supportive environment within their team and across their organisation.
• Coapplicants
  • The coapplicant:
    • Can be based anywhere in the world except in mainland China, so long as the lead applicant or at least one other coapplicant is based at an institution in an African or Asian country currently experiencing a dengue and Zika outbreak or has experienced an outbreak in the past.
    • Can be based in the same or a different organisation from the lead applicant.
    • Can be at any career stage and from any discipline relevant to the priorities of the proposed research. They strongly encourage early-career researchers to be included as coapplicants.
    • Must be able to contribute at least 20% of their research time to this project.
    • Must be essential for the delivery of the proposed research and make a significant contribution. For example, designing an aspect of the research, writing the application, managing the programme, leading on a specific work package or aim, or being responsible for research uptake.
• Collaborators
  • The collaborator/s:
    • There is no limit to the number of collaborators listed on an application for this award. They expect that the added value of anyone listed as a collaborator is clearly described.
    • Cannot receive salary or compensation for the time spent on the proposed project but can request costs to cover their expenses.

Ineligible

• You should not apply for this call if:
  • you intend to carry out activities that involve the transfer of grant funds into mainland China.
  • you do not have either a lead applicant or coapplicants based in each country where the proposed research will take place.
  • you are a lead applicant based at a commercial organisation.

For more information, visit Wellcome.