Funding, News and Announcements

Summary

This funding opportunity on Zika virus is in response to the virus outbreak in the Americas and the Caribbean and to the health threat it represents for the affected populations. CIHR and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), working with parameters set out by members of the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R ), are planning to invest in areas where new knowledge on Zika virus will help develop diagnostics for Zika virus infection, understand the pathology caused by the virus, and ultimately prevent its transmission and morbidity.

Research areas

1. Pathogenesis
   Understanding the biological mechanisms of the Zika infection that lead to the severe reported complications.
2. Diagnostics
   The development of improved Zika diagnosis and differential diagnosis assays.
3. Vector Studies
   i. the ecological transmission dynamics of Zika virus;
   ii. the assessment of systematic and integrated vector control approach involving communities complemented with the evaluation of new technologies.

The research must be conducted either exclusively in Latin America and the Caribbean or in Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Funds available

• The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $3,000,000 ($1,500,000 from CIHR and up to $1,500,000 for IDRC), enough to fund approximately three grants. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum CIHR amount per grant is $166,667 per year for up to three years for a total of $500,000 per grant. The maximum IDRC total amount per grant is $500,000 over up to three years.
• A funding pool will be established for each of the three research areas. Funding will be distributed to the top rated full application in each of the research areas. If any of the research areas does not have a fundable application, then two in the same area could be funded.
• Of the $3,000,000:
  • A total of $1M is available to fund an application relevant to the pathogenesis research area.
  • A total of $1M is available to fund an application relevant to the diagnostics research area.
  • A total of $1M is available to fund an application relevant to vector studies research area
• Applications need to include proposals submitted jointly and involving both Canadian researchers and research institutions from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). CIHR will fund Canadian members of the research team and IDRC will fund team members from research institutions based in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Important Dates

Program launch date: 2016-05-06
Application Deadline: 2016-07-12
Anticipated Notice of Decision: 2016-09-30
Funding start date: 2016-10-01

Contact Information

For all inquiries please contact:

Telephone: 613-954-1968
Toll Free: 1-888-603-4178
Email: support@cihr-irsc.gc.ca