Funding opportunity for rapid research response to the 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. The funding call is a collaboration between IDRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
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.
Data produced as a result of this funding must be shared in line with the Joint statement on sharing research data and findings relevant to the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak.
While not an overall requirement of the call, IDRC will only fund collaborations with researchers from lower and middle-income countries.
The total amount of funding available and further details are included in the full request for applications.
Please note that the funding opportunity is now available on ResearchNet (Application deadline: February 18, 2020).