Deadline for submission: 26 October 2023 (23:59 PHT)
Only applicants from the WHO South-East-Asia region are eligible
The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) and TDR (the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) are pleased to announce the 2023–2024 Call for applications for the Joint South-East Asia region/TDR Impact Grants for Regional Priorities focused on implementation research for accelerating elimination of infectious diseases of poverty under the Regional Flagship Priorities in South-East Asia.
Eligible countries
This call is for applications to conduct implementation research that will inform policy and public health practice for accelerating elimination of infectious diseases of poverty under the Regional Flagship Priorities in South-East Asia. The call is open to principal investigators who are based in an institution located in low- and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia region, including: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste.
Proposals must be submitted in English.
Background and Rationale
TDR is a global programme of scientific collaboration that helps facilitate, support and influence efforts to combat diseases of poverty. It is co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The general objective of the Impact Grants is to promote SEAR-based research and innovations for accelerating elimination of infectious diseases of poverty under the Regional Flagship Priorities in South-East Asia.
The specific objectives of the Impact Grants are to:
- strengthen the research capacity of relevant individuals and institutions in countries;
- generate new knowledge, solutions and implementation strategies that countries can apply for the control and elimination of infectious diseases; and
- encourage intersectoral dialogue and a One Health approach.
This call is a joint initiative between TDR and SEARO, who have a mutual interest in strengthening the capacity for health research in low- and middle-income countries. The call reflects a commitment to supporting implementation research to deliver high-quality and cost-efficient healthcare solutions to people in resource-poor settings.
Accelerating efforts to End TB by 2030, and finishing the task of eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other diseases on the verge of elimination such as malaria, HIV and syphilis, are the Regional Flagship Priorities in the WHO South-East Asia. This call for proposals supports the generation of evidence from local research to enhance delivery of essential public health interventions and health services in alignment with WHO guidance and global best practices, for accelerating elimination of these infectious diseases of poverty under the Regional Flagship Priorities.
Research priorities
This call aims to facilitate and strengthen public health-oriented implementation research focused on reaching unreached populations, primarily through integrated health service delivery in the South-East Asia region. Implementation research activities supported by this call may be complementary to those supported by other stakeholders interested in these research areas.
The focus of this call is on the following priorities, including research areas are below. Additionally, specific gaps in knowledge related to priority communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), malaria, dengue and NTDs, and their risk and exogenous factors, are of interest in this call.
Neglected tropical diseases
- Effective approach for integrating detection, diagnosis and management of NTDs with other diseases or PHC/health system platforms, particularly towards and beyond post-elimination phase;
- Effective approach for tracking and referring migrants within and between countries to ensure continued provision of health services for complete case management of NTDs;
- Practical and effective approach for integrated vector surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases for sustainability;
- Effective approach to reach the unreached populations with NTD interventions and services, such as mass drug administration in urban settings or active case detection in vulnerable populations.
HIV, hepatitis and STI
- Involving organized and unorganized private sector in triple elimination of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B;
- Strengthening sample transport networks to enhance utilization of diagnostic tools, specifically molecular diagnostics to detect TB and drug-resistant forms of TB;
- Intensified screening and case finding among populations with limited access to services, particularly among marginalized and vulnerable groups;
- Involving organized and unorganized private sector in triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B;
- Intensified screening and case finding of hepatitis B and C among populations with higher risk and limited access to services, particularly among marginalized and vulnerable groups;
- Improving etiological management of STIs and addressing antimicrobial resistance;
- Implementation research for simplified models of continuum of care in viral hepatitis, HIV and STIs, through integration/convergence, task sharing and decentralization.
Tuberculosis
- Increased uptake of updated recommendations and coverage of diagnostic tools that diagnose TB and various forms of drug-resistant TB;
- Roll-out of newer, shorter treatment regimens for TB prevention, drug-sensitive TB and drug-resistant TB, including demand generation activities;
- Implementing good infection prevention and control practices in health care settings;
- Improving programme performance through community engagement or other innovative approaches in planning, service delivery and monitoring;
- Innovative approaches to mitigate catastrophic costs and making TB services people-centric;
- Using digital tools and technologies in TB prevention, screening, diagnosis, adherence and support services.
Malaria
- Feasibility studies for safe and effective radical treatment of P. vivax, including optimized dosing regimens and point-of-care G6PD testing;
- Feasibility and cost effectiveness of malaria chemoprevention in pregnancy in the region;
- Operational studies on antimalarial resistance;
- Operational feasibility of case investigation and reactive malaria case detection around index case;
- Cost effectiveness of malaria surveillance strategies;
- Cross-border collaboration for elimination of malaria along the international borders between endemic countries.
Eligibility criteria
TDR is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in science. Researchers are encouraged to apply irrespective of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious, cultural and social backgrounds, or (dis)ability status.
In addition, the following criteria should be met:
- Proposals may only be submitted in English, through the eTDR portal.
- Research proposed must be conducted in the South-East Asia region.
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be based in an institution located in a low- or middle-income South-East Asia country or territory, including national tropical/communicable disease control programmes, ministries of health, academic institutions, research institutes and nongovernmental organizations.
- The research project must relate to the objectives and scope described in the present call and include a strategy for engagement of key stakeholders in the research process.
- Proposals submitted should include an acknowledgment letter signed by the manager of the programme area or the person in charge of the programme or institution related to the project at the appropriate level of the public healthcare services (e.g. primary health care unit, municipal secretary of health, state department of health, or national ministry or secretary of health). The acknowledgment letter does not mean there is a need for a clearance for the project, as no technical assessment is needed at this level.
- Applicants must demonstrate past experience in operational and/or implementation research. This might include, but is not limited to, evidence of having been trained in operational /implementation research and being able to conduct research independently. Such training could include the TDR Implementation Research Toolkit, the MOOC (massive open online course) on implementation research, or another formal research training experience.
Selection and notification process
Proposals will be selected on a competitive basis by external reviewers and WHO staff in SEARO and TDR. Applications will be evaluated on their scientific merit, relevance, feasibility and public health impact of the project. Principal investigators will be informed of the results within six weeks of the application deadline.
Funding will depend on obtaining ethical approval for the proposed research from relevant research ethics committees in the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia and the target country.
Funding: Up to US$ 15 000 per grant. Co-funding from domestic or other sources is encouraged.
Study duration: The maximum duration for the study is 12 months. The anticipated commencement of the research is early 2024, taking into account the time and procedures needed for selection, obtaining ethics clearance and finalizing contracts. Nevertheless, this may be determined on a case-by-case basis. The research project must be finished by the end of 2024.
How to submit the application
The completed application form should be signed by all investigators and submitted no later than 26 October 2023 (23:59 PHT) through the eTDR community portal.
You will need to be logged in to eTDR before you can submit your application. If you have not used the site before, you will need to create an account. Consult this guide for more information on how to submit an application in eTDR.
Download the application form in English
The curriculum vitae of the PI must not exceed one page and should clearly indicate the PI’s affiliation and complete address (including telephone number and e-mail), as well as any affiliated institution(s). The full name of the PI (with the family name underlined), sex, date of birth, nationality, qualifications and the nature of the applicant’s current and previous posts, must be clearly stated. The costing of the project must be included and expressed in United States dollars.
Both the proposal and PI information should be submitted in English. Any applicant who does not fully complete the prescribed proposal form will not be considered for funding.
Application forms must be completed and signed appropriately. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Please include:
- Duly completed and signed research proposal form
- Acknowledgement letter signed by an appropriate person
- Current curriculum vitae of principal investigator
For technical questions/information related to this call, please contact:
Dr Aya Yajima at yajimaa@who.int
For administrative questions/information related to documentation, please contact:
Mr Tanushri MITRA at mitrat@who.int
Ms Surya PRAKASH at prakashsu@who.int
For technical issues with the online submission, please contact:
Ms Elisabetta Dessi at dessie@who.int
Publication Policy
Any publications or data resulting from the supported projects must follow the World Health Organization’s Policy on Open Access and should clearly refer to support from the SEARO/TDR Impact Grants for Regional Priorities, including the grant number.
Related links:
TDR Implementation Research Toolkit
The MOOC (massive open online course) on implementation research
OpenWHO course: Using the Hypothesis-Driven Approach for Problem Solving in Public Health