The Government of Canada is launching a special funding call for a rapid research response to contribute to global efforts to contain the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak.
This research response is aligned with the efforts of international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R). This is a collaboration between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
According to government officials, the focus of the call is likely to be further refined during the application period based on international needs, discussions with expert groups, including the upcoming WHO meeting ‘2019 novel Coronavirus Global research and innovation forum: towards a research roadmap’, and emerging priorities. Alignment of proposals to identified priorities will be considered as part of the assessment process.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the Canadian 2019-nCoV rapid research funding opportunity are to:
- Contribute to the global response to the 2019-nCoV outbreak;
- Enhance local, national and/or international collaborative efforts to mitigate the rapid spread of 2019-nCoV and its potential negative consequences;
- Strengthen the understanding of the impact of 2019-nCoV on individuals and communities; and
- Provide evidence to inform clinical and public health response, and/or decision-making and planning at national and international levels.
Proposed topic areas
The Government of Canada will provide funding for applications determined to be relevant to one of the two research areas below:
- Medical countermeasures research (address minimum of one):
- Pathogenicity, transmission, and zoonotic source of the 2019-nCoV;
- Development and evaluation of diagnostic tools for early case detection and surveillance;
- Development and evaluation of candidate vaccines;
- Development and evaluation of candidate therapeutics;
- Clinical characterization and management; or
- Clinical trials design and ethical considerations.
- Social and policy countermeasures research in health (address minimum of one):
- Cultural dimensions of the epidemic such as, examining how individuals and communities understand and react to the disease;
- Studying the public health response;
- Developing strategies to combat misinformation, stigma, and fear;
- Studying logistical (e.g., infrastructure, transport, evacuation) and economic impacts;
- Studying international relations, global coordination, response systems and crisis management; or
- Understanding the social dynamics of transmission and vulnerability.
Funds available
As the Government of Canada response to 2019-nCoV is evolving rapidly, the total amount of funding available and further details will be included in the full request for applications.
- For the medical countermeasures, the maximum amount per grant is $1,000,000 over two years.
- For the social and policy countermeasures research, the maximum amount per grant is $500,000 over two years.
Given the urgency of this funding competition, recruitment for peer reviewers will begin immediately. If you are interested and available to volunteer as a peer reviewer, please reach out to CIHR immediately at EHTRF-FRNMS@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.