CIHR Operating Grant: Rapid Research Response Fund for Ebola
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire with unit
Memorial Deadline: Tuesday 10th, July 2018
External Deadline: Friday 13th, July 2018
Description
The Rapid Research Response Fund (RRF) for Ebola Virus Disease supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) aims to support social science and humanities, population and public health and/or health systems research to increase collaboration and adaptive scaling of past evidence-based interventions that have proven successful in curbing Ebola Virus Disease transmission, promote novel approaches to remaining challenges, and link existing resources and expertise across the globe to inform the response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease that started in April 2018 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as inform prevention and response to future outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease and other similar diseases. Specific aims of the Call intend to enhance the mobilization of interdisciplinary teams of Canadian and African health and social scientists and humanists, as well as knowledge users, to help contain the current Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the DRC, and prevent or mitigate the impact of future Ebola Virus Disease and similar threats to the region.
Research Areas
The focus of the supported research will be to inform the response to the current Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the DRC with the aim of improving prevention and preparedness efforts to future Ebola or similarly significant infectious threats in the region. As the fund is designed for rapid research response support, the focus will remain broad enough to receive and adapt to identified priorities and will avoid being prescriptive in nature. Projects should aim to apply social science, humanities, population and public health and/or health systems research approaches that build on previous learnings and/or respond to documented knowledge and practice gaps of integrating these research approaches for more effective outbreak response, containment and mitigation efforts.
- Projects must be focused on addressing challenges related to the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC and/or risks of extension to the surrounding region;
- Research must be justified as beneficial to the current Ebola Virus Disease emergency in the DRC and surrounding region; and,
- The proposal must justify the use of rapid research response funds and explain how the same research success and impact would not be achieved through traditional, less time sensitive funding sources.
Potential areas of focus include but are not limited to the following:
- Novel social interventions to address challenges associated with response to the 2018 outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the DRC, for example: effective communication and public outreach, provision of health services during the outbreak, and also addressing socio-cultural challenges, such as those associated with local food systems, bushmeat demand and increased risk of exposure to Ebola virus;
- Improved understanding of travel and social behaviors that influence the risks of Ebola virus transmission particularly within and between remote, rural areas and densely populated urban zones;
- Improved understanding and prevention of the secondary health impacts of Ebola outbreaks, such as increased pressure on fragile local health systems, reduced access to and use of critical health services, and undermined rule of law and governance systems;
- Research addressing ethical concerns related to conflicts between public health practice, experimental design and local social reality;
- Research addressing community-based outbreak control measures, and how emergency response can take into account community beliefs, practices and solutions and mobilize existing and new knowledge into effective practices;
- Research to identify practical early warning systems and other public health interventions (e.g. through health systems strengthening) to slow or prevent continued and future transmission;
- Transboundary policy-relevant research and evidence to strengthen local and regional capacities for mitigating Ebola virus transmission and disease;
- Research addressing the role of international agencies and African institutions in preventing and responding to Ebola Virus Disease and similar outbreaks in Africa, including how these institutions can better engage local leadership and institutions (e.g. schools, local clinics and hospitals, churches) to ensure that responses are culturally appropriate, community specific, and leverage local characteristics;
- Mobilizing and sharing best practices and lessons learned for enabling, coordinating, and supporting monitoring, research, response, and prevention tactics and protocols;
- Social and cultural contexts in the development and implementation of public health interventions at times of crisis, e.g. experimental vaccine delivery, uptake and efficacy studies; use of experimental treatment options;
- Social, cultural and historical factors within specific communities influencing behaviors that aid or limit the effectiveness of political, educational, technological and biomedical approaches to preventing and responding to Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks; and,
- Research addressing differential gender-related transmission risks of Ebola virus disease and gender implications on access to care, participation in community responses, recovery and long-term impact of Ebola.
Funds Available
CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions for this initiative are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or are decreased due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to grants received as a result of this funding opportunity.
- IDRC, CIHR and SSHRC will contribute to a total CAN$1.5 million towards this Rapid Research Response Fund.
- Project funds will be disbursed and administered by IDRC on behalf of the IDRC/SSHRC/CIHR partnership.
- A minimum of four successful teams will be eligible to receive Research Grants up to CAN$360,000 over two years (2018-2020).
- The number of supported projects will depend on the number, quality, and review and ranking of eligible proposals by an external peer-review process.