Joint South-East Asia region/TDR Impact Grants for Regional Priorities

Research Priorities

• This call aims to facilitate and strengthen public health-oriented implementation research focused on reaching unreached populations, primarily through integrated health service delivery in the South-East Asia region. Implementation research activities supported by this call may be complementary to those supported by other stakeholders interested in these research areas.
• The focus of this call is on the following priorities, including research areas are below. Additionally, specific gaps in knowledge related to priority communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), malaria, dengue and NTDs, and their risk and exogenous factors, are of interest in this call.
  • Neglected tropical diseases
    • Effective approach for integrating detection, diagnosis and management of NTDs with other diseases or PHC/health system platforms, particularly towards and beyond post-elimination phase;
    • Effective approach for tracking and referring migrants within and between countries to ensure continued provision of health services for complete case management of NTDs;
    • Practical and effective approach for integrated vector surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases for sustainability;
    • Effective approach to reach the unreached populations with NTD interventions and services, such as mass drug administration in urban settings or active case detection in vulnerable populations.
  • HIV, hepatitis and STI
    • Involving organized and unorganized private sector in triple elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B;
    • Strengthening sample transport networks to enhance utilization of diagnostic tools, specifically molecular diagnostics to detect TB and drug-resistant forms of TB;
    • Intensified screening and case finding among populations with limited access to services, particularly among marginalized and vulnerable groups;
    • Involving organized and unorganized private sector in triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B;
    • Intensified screening and case finding of hepatitis B and C among populations with higher risk and limited access to services, particularly among marginalized and vulnerable groups;
    • Improving etiological management of STIs and addressing antimicrobial resistance;
    • Implementation research for simplified models of continuum of care in viral hepatitis, HIV and STIs, through integration/convergence, task sharing and decentralization.
  • Tuberculosis
    • Increased uptake of updated recommendations and coverage of diagnostic tools that diagnose TB and various forms of drug-resistant TB;
    • Roll-out of newer, shorter treatment regimens for TB prevention, drug-sensitive TB and drug-resistant TB, including demand generation activities;
    • Implementing good infection prevention and control practices in health care settings;
    • Improving programme performance through community engagement or other innovative approaches in planning, service delivery and monitoring;
    • Innovative approaches to mitigate catastrophic costs and making TB services people-centric;
    • Using digital tools and technologies in TB prevention, screening, diagnosis, adherence and support services.
  • Malaria
    • Feasibility studies for safe and effective radical treatment of P. vivax, including optimized dosing regimens and point-of-care G6PD testing;
    • Feasibility and cost effectiveness of malaria chemoprevention in pregnancy in the region;
    • Operational studies on antimalarial resistance;
    • Operational feasibility of case investigation and reactive malaria case detection around index case;
    • Cost effectiveness of malaria surveillance strategies;
    • Cross-border collaboration for elimination of malaria along the international borders between endemic countries.

Funding Information

• Funding: Up to US $15 000 per grant. Co-funding from domestic or other sources is encouraged.
• Study duration: The maximum duration for the study is 12 months. The anticipated commencement of the research is early 2024, taking into account the time and procedures needed for selection, obtaining ethics clearance and finalizing contracts. Nevertheless, this may be determined on a case-by-case basis. The research project must be finished by the end of 2024.

Eligible Countries

• This call is for applications to conduct implementation research that will inform policy and public health practice for accelerating elimination of infectious diseases of poverty under the Regional Flagship Priorities in South-East Asia. The call is open to principal investigators who are based in an institution located in low- and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia region, including:
  • Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste.

Eligibility Criteria

• TDR is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in science. Researchers are encouraged to apply irrespective of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious, cultural and social backgrounds, or (dis)ability status.
• In addition, the following criteria should be met:
  • Proposals may only be submitted in English, through the eTDR portal.
  • Research proposed must be conducted in the South-East Asia region.
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) must be based in an institution located in a low- or middle-income South-East Asia country or territory, including national tropical/communicable disease control programmes, ministries of health, academic institutions, research institutes and nongovernmental organizations.
  • The research project must relate to the objectives and scope described in the present call and include a strategy for engagement of key stakeholders in the research process.
  • Proposals submitted should include an acknowledgment letter signed by the manager of the programme area or the person in charge of the programme or institution related to the project at the appropriate level of the public healthcare services (e.g. primary health care unit, municipal secretary of health, state department of health, or national ministry or secretary of health). The acknowledgment letter does not mean there is a need for a clearance for the project, as no technical assessment is needed at this level.
  • Applicants must demonstrate past experience in operational and/or implementation research. This might include, but is not limited to, evidence of having been trained in operational /implementation research and being able to conduct research independently.
  • Applicants are encouraged to incorporate the hypothesis-driven problem-solving approach and consider other agile methods such as human-centred design thinking in developing their research proposal.

For more information, visit WHO.