Grants and collaboration
The Polio Research Committee’s call for proposals
The Polio Research Committee (PRC) is currently soliciting research proposals to support the implementation and evaluation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Strategic Plan 2010-2012, with particular focus on the following topics.
I. Eventual switch from trivalent OPV to bivalent OPV:
1) Characterizing the immune response after a single dose of IPV (e.g., memory cells, duration)in the presence and absence of prior to OPV administration.
2) VDPV transmissibility within a community. Frequency and duration of virus recovery on a community basis Possibility of interruption of transmission with IPV versus OPV.
II. Operational research to increase programme performance:
3) Assess factors for suboptimal vaccination team performance and develop evaluation methods for team performance in countries with continued circulation of wild poliovirus.
4) Communication/social research to understand factors affecting household decisions around accepting OPV (e.g., community’s perception of vaccinators and vaccinator’s motivation).
III. Understanding trivalent OPV induced mucosal immunity:
5) Evaluation of induction and duration of mucosal immunity.
6) Develop tools to measure mucosal immunity.
IV. Countries switching from trivalent OPV to IPV. Understanding the natural history of virus behavior with cessation of use of trivalent OPV:
7) Epidemiologic and virologic evaluation of poliovirus disappearance (particularly in tropical and low sanitation areas).
8) Social research on community perception towards OPV/IPV switch.
V. Enhancing AFP surveillance:
9) Develop new rapid field methods to increase the sensitivity of AFP surveillance or offer alternative methods of surveillance for polio in the individual.
10) Social research on community recognition of AFP cases and the ability to report them.
Please note that the PRC is specifically interested in proposals which may contribute to the programme within 12-18 months.
Procedure for submission of proposals.