Emergency Awards: Rapid Investigation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (R01)

The purpose of this grant is to provide an expedited funding mechanism for research on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

Areas of high priority include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Studies to understand critical aspects of viral infection, replication and pathogenesis 
• Studies to understand critical aspects of viral transmission 
• Identification and characterization of the onset and duration of immunity in healthy and at-risk populations
• Virologic and serologic surveillance studies and natural history studies to understand the origin of the virus including the animal host reservoir, potential intermediate hosts, factors leading to spill over events, evidence of continued spill over events and studies at the human-animal interface
• Studies to assess and characterize the natural history and long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in various human populations including at risk populations;
• Development or improvement of clinical diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 to increase the sensitivity, specificity and ability to provide rapid results;
• Development and testing of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic candidates, in relevant in vitro, ex vivo or animal models
• Development of SARS-CoV-2-specific or broadly protective coronavirus vaccine candidates 
• Studies to inform the development of vaccination strategies for at-risk populations including use of age-specific adjuvants or novel antigen formulations/dosing
• Development of assays and animal models
• Assess animal models for SARS-CoV-2 and how the models compare to human infection including animal models that represent at risk populations (elderly, immunocompromised, very young, pregnant models);
• Development of animal models for transmission experiments;
• Development of organoid culture models and/or ex vivo explant models;
• Computational modeling studies to identify and evaluate interventions to protect at-risk populations and for making public health policy decisions for control and mitigation measures;
• Study interactions and impact between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens including influenza (e.g., co-infections, interference);
• Comparative studies of SARS-CoV-2 to other coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-1 and MERS;
• Data science approaches to develop algorithms, models, and informatics solutions

Funding: No fixed limit 

Duration: 5 years 

Research authority due date: 10 days prior to sumission 

No LOI required.