[afro-nets] Call for Novel TB Diagnostic Methods

[TDR Scientists List <tdr-scientists@who.int>]

Call for Novel TB Diagnostic Methods
------------------------------------
 
Novel TB Diagnostic Methods: Point-of-care detection of TB Diag-
nostics Research and Development
 
Application deadline: 30 April 2005
 
The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and the 
UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and 
Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) invite applications for the 
joint award of "Bright Ideas" grants in 2005. This funding 
mechanism, recurrent through TDR since 2002, is meant to encour-
age the development of entirely new approaches to the diagnosis 
of clinical tuberculosis. This year, the Bright Ideas grants, 
awarded in collaboration with FIND, will be awarded on a com-
petitive basis for two types of projects related to the develop-
ment of point of care TB diagnostics technologies:
 
1. Product-related discovery science projects designed to fill 
important knowledge gaps that form current bottlenecks in the 
development of point-of-care detection of TB. Proposals should 
focus on biology, not technology, and should articulate a fo-
cused research agenda designed to answer specific questions that 
are critical to the design, development or testing of a new 
point-of-care test for TB. Basic science that is not specifi-
cally related to diagnostic tool development will not be funded.
 
2. Product development projects for point-of-care diagnostic 
tests that could augment or replace microscopy through detection 
of M. tuberculosis products or other biomarkers in urine, spu-
tum, saliva, blood or serum. Proof of principle should be demon-
strable at the time of application, and the incorporation of the 
technology or methodology into a simple format requiring little 
training or laboratory infrastructure should be fully envi-
sioned.
 
Depending on availability, reference clinical materials (serum, 
sputum, urine, saliva) from the WHO/TDR Tuberculosis Specimen 
Bank will be obtainable to support selected projects.
 
Grant details
 
Projects will be supported at a level of US$50 000 to US$250 000 
(total cost), and evidence of collaborative funding is encour-
aged. The number of grants awarded by FIND or TDR will depend 
upon the quality of proposals submitted. Funds should be di-
rected toward direct performance of the work, and overhead ex-
penses and salary support for the principal investigator are not 
normally admissible. These grants are meant to support focused, 
single-year projects, and additional support will only be avail-
able on a c competitive basis through reapplication.
 
Eligibility
 
Proposals will be reviewed on the basis of:
 
a) scientific merit b) value of the preliminary data c) novelty 
of concept d) quality and clarity of written application e) re-
search experience of applicant f) strength of collaborations
 
For proposals with a clinical component, demonstrable access to 
an adequate number of pulmonary tuberculosis patients will be 
critical. There is no restriction on nationality or location of 
employment for applicants, though projects seated in or collabo-
rating with developing disease endemic countries (DECs) are en-
couraged.
 
How to apply
 
In all cases, applications (the original plus two copies)* must 
be submitted to TDR by mail no later than 30 April 2005, to:
 
Izabela Suder
TDR, World Health Organization 
1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland
 
* please use a Collaborative Research Grant proposal form avail-
able at 
http://www.who.int/tdr/grants/forms.htm 
 
Applications that do not include original signatures from: 
- the responsible Administrative Authority (institutional en-
dorsement) 
- the Chief Financial Officer and Principal Investigator (budget 
page) will not be accepted. 

Electronic submissions (mailto:tdrgrant@who.int) no later than 
30 April 2005 will be accepted. However, the original form, with 
the required, original signatures must also be postmarked no 
later than 30 April 2005.
 
Proposals involving human subjects will be submitted to the WHO 
Research Ethics Review Committee.
 
Enquiries should be addressed to:
 
Dr Jane Cunningham 
Diagnostics Research and Development WHO/TDR 
Tel.: +41-22-791-3587
mailto:cunninghamj@who.int
 
or to:
 
Dr Mark Perkins 
Chief Scientific Officer 
FIND 
Tel. +41-22-710-0592 
mailto:mark.perkinsm@finddiagnostics.org 
 
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