NIH-NSF Ecology of Infectious Diseases Program: A Joint Program for Multidisciplinary Research

Notice Number: NOT-TW-11-001

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

• October 13, 2011 - See Notice NOT-TW-12-001. This Notice updates and supersedes this Guide Notice, NIH-NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program: A Joint Program for Multidisciplinary Research.

Release Date: October 29, 2010

NOT-TW-07-001

Fogarty International Center (FIC)

This notice updates and supersedes the previous Guide Notice, NOT-TW-07-001, published in the NIH Guide, November 30, 2006.

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have identified ecological sciences, including field biology and mathematical modeling, socio-ecology, and evolution as essential disciplines to understand and predict transmission of zoonotic and other infectious diseases that involve biotic or abiotic vectors, including diseases of humans, other terrestrial, freshwater or marine animals, and plants. The FIC and the NSF will continue this multi-year collaboration on an important initiative to advance our ability to address the environmental and public health components of disease control. As described in the NSF Program Solicitation (NSF-10-616), the purpose of the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID) Program is to support to multidisciplinary teams in the development of predictive models and the discovery of principles governing the transmission dynamics of infectious disease agents to humans and other hosts. Proposed projects should include research and associated expertise in diverse disciplines (e.g., mammalogy, ornithology, entomology, epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, social sciences, hydrology, geographic information systems, mathematical modeling, biostatistics) as relevant to understanding the disease transmission system proposed. The EID program scope has broadened to incorporate more socio-ecology, pathogen evolution and translational research in the overall context of the ecology of disease transmission. Of specific interest in this solicitation are collaborative partnerships between US scientists and UK biological and social scientists that focus on the socio-ecological factors and processes in disease transmission.

U.S. and foreign institutions are eligible to apply. The FIC mission prioritizes collaborative projects with scientists in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) focused on significant health threats in their countries. Other NIH components have participated in the past and may do so again in the current cycle. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH or NSF program officials prior to submitting an application. It is anticipated that six to eight awards will be made in fiscal year 2011 for projects to begin in the summer of 2011, subject to the availability of funds. Each EID project may receive NIH support of up to $350,000 in direct costs, or NSF support of up to $500,000 in total costs, per year for up to five years.

Application submission is through the National Science Foundation. Following jointly conducted initial peer review of these applications, likely NIH awardees will be asked to reformat their application and resubmit their application for NIH processing.

Detailed information about this program can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5269&org=EF.

Written and telephone inquiries concerning this Notice should be directed to:

NSF:
Samuel Scheiner, Ph.D.
Program Director
Directorate for Biological Sciences
Division of Environmental Biology
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230
Telephone: (703) 292-7175
Fax: (703) 292-9064
Email: sscheine@nsf.gov

FIC:
Joshua Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Deputy Director
Division of International Training and Research
Fogarty International Center
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Building 31, Room B2C39
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220
Telephone: 301- 496-1653
Fax: 301-402-0779
Email: Joshua.Rosenthal@nih.gov

Christine Jessup, Ph.D.
Program Officer
Division of International Training and Research
Fogarty International Center
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Drive, MSC 2220
Building 31, Room B2C39
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220
Telephone: 301-496-1653
Fax: 301-402-0779
Email: Christine.Jessup@nih.gov