CDC research activities regarding international travelers at multiple sites are limited. Proposals are now being accepted under a new effort focused on determining the disease prevention strategies, burden, severity, optimal diagnostics, treatment interventions, and outcomes of infectious diseases acquired while travelling abroad.
The purpose of this effort is to support research cooperative agreements aiming to:
- Conduct research activities that will assist with the prevention, detection, and management of international travelers who become ill during or after travel
- Monitor for and detect sentinel infectious disease threats in a timely and efficient manner for the containment and response to emerging infectious diseases
- Decrease the number of international travelers who acquire a travel-related infectious disease
The target population this research effort is all international travelers, with possible focus on specific traveler sub-populations including, but not limited to, migrants as defined in the application. The application may specifically target certain sub-populations for further research and surveillance, such as migrant and immigrant populations who are largely non-English speaking and who may have limited health literacy.
These groups are also known to be at increased risk of acquiring serious travel-related illnesses, such as typhoid fever and malaria, when traveling from their countries of origin or returning from visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). Knowledge gained through this research will contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of illness acquisition among sub-populations of travelers that could be used to develop programs designed to address health disparities.
An estimated $7,500,000 is available for this program effort.
All levels of federally recognized government, nonprofit, and educational organizations are eligible, including Federally Funded Research and Development
Additional details are available at Grants.gov. The application deadline is December 18, 2020.