APDC FETP Fellowship

2022-2023 Cycle

September, 2022 – November, 2023

Dear TEPHINET Community,

We are pleased to announce the opportunity to submit Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the
next cycle of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition (APDC) Field Epidemiology
Training Program Fellowship (APDC FETP Fellowship).This opportunity furthers the
mission of the FETP enterprise in collaboration with the APDC, a first-of-its-kind
global scientific and public health partnership dedicated to the early detection of, and
rapid response to, future pandemic threats. By connecting global centers of
excellence in surveillance, laboratory testing, genetic sequencing and public health
research, this collaborative fellowship initiative offers a continuous learning
opportunity to FETP trainees and recent graduates, and serves to bridge and
strengthen epidemiology and laboratory disciplines amongst our networks.
Collaborative implementation of awarded projects and access to a Community of
Practice, training resources and a global mentorship network are core elements
structured to collectively enhance the Grantee’s learning experience and ensure
dissemination of novel findings via conferences and/or publications. The goals of this
fellowship are to:

● Improve and sustain in-country and regional surveillance and diagnostic

laboratory capacity that supports early detection of, and rapid response to,
future pandemic threats
● Expand technical professional development opportunities to FETP trainees and
graduates with a focus on bridging epidemiology and laboratory science
● Increase and strengthen collaboration among global FETPs, regional
laboratory networks, academic, research and public health institutions
● Strengthen epidemiology and diagnostic laboratory capacity in supported
countries
The APDC FETP Fellowship small grants are awarded to first-time recipients for a
maximum of US $25,000 and are funded through the generous support of Abbott 1.

All projects proposed for the 2022-2023 cycle of the APDC FETP Fellowship must be
initiated and completed during the period of January 31st, 2023 to November 30th,
2023.

Awardees will be expected to work closely with an in-country mentor that they identify
and a program-selected long-distance mentor with subject matter expertise to
implement their project. Awardees are responsible for leading progress and
proactively steering collaborative efforts on their own projects.

Applicants are restricted to submitting one LOI. Multiple entries will result in
disqualification.

When to apply?
● LOIs are due by 11:59 pm Atlanta/EST on October 18th, 2022. All individuals
interested in submitting a project proposal for funding under this small grants
program must first submit an LOI.

Who can apply?

● Current FETP residents/trainees (Advanced tier only) who do not have another
TEPHINET small grant in progress.
● Recent Advanced graduates within 2 years of their graduation date can apply
with the support of their FETP program director.
● The applicant (i.e. FETP resident/trainee/graduate) must be the Principal
Investigator (PI).
● The applicants are required to identify an in-country mentor who should have
subject matter expertise in their project area at their ministry of health (MOH),
APDC site, National Public Health Institute (NPHI), academic institution, or
public-private partnership for the duration of the grant funded project.
Applications that do not identify an in-country mentor will not be considered.

1
All grant awards are contingent upon receipt of funding from associated donors. This announcement
does not implicitly or explicitly guarantee awards for submitted LOIs.
 ● The applicants are required to identify which institution and/or laboratory they will
collaboratively conduct their proposed project with, and ensure that their host
country MOH is amenable to their participation in this program. It is encouraged
that an APDC member institution be engaged. For more information or
assistance with initiating collaboration with an APDC site, contact the Small
Grants Program at sgp@tephinet.org .

Proposed projects focus areas:

Projects must focus on either one of three tracks: Pathogen discovery and surveillance,
Non-communicable diseases, or Neglected tropical diseases and diseases of public
health consequence (see below). Where feasible, collaboration with facilities in
neighboring countries may be considered for specimen collection and/or testing.
Potential topic areas are listed below. The project scope must be non-research or
exempt human subjects research as defined by US Federal Guidelines here, and be
feasible to accomplish in a 10-month period.

a) Pathogen discovery and surveillance: Identification and/or monitoring of genetic

diversity and evolution of endemic or emerging pathogens. The following types of
projects will be considered:
a) Build upon existing and/or setup/establish surveillance systems for emerging and
re-emerging pathogens where none exist.
b) Design and conduct serosurveys (e.g. cross-sectional or longitudinal) or case
studies involving patients with illness of novel or unknown etiology
c) Work with clinics, hospitals or laboratories to establish specimen banks with
database for specimen and data collection.
d) Utilize existing specimen banks from clinics, hospitals or laboratories to plan and
coordinate selection of appropriate samples, assays and/or shipment of
specimens to Abbott/APDC sites.
e) Other studies/projects may be considered.

2. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs): Identification and/or monitoring of NCDs with

established infectious risk factors and infectious diseases with long-term non-
communicable sequelae. The following NCDs will be considered:
a) Liver cancer, cirrhosis, and other chronic liver diseases associated with viral
hepatitis including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and/or
hepatitis D virus (HDV), or other infectious etiologies.
b) Epidemiology and burden of Long-Covid syndrome in LMICs.
c) Epidemiology of cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV).
d) Other diseases and syndromes associated with infectious diseases including but
not limited to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV, EBV, CMV, H. pylori, and
others.
3. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and priority public health infectious diseases.
The following types of projects will be considered:
a) Submissions addressing Rift Valley Fever (RVF), Crimean Congo
Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), and Hantavirus are encouraged.
b) Build upon existing and/or setup/establish surveillance systems for
emerging and re-emerging pathogens where none exist.
c) Design and conduct serosurveys (e.g. cross-sectional or longitudinal) or
case studies involving patients with illness of novel or unknown etiology
d) Work with clinics, hospitals or laboratories to establish specimen banks
with database for specimen and data collection.
e) Utilize existing specimen banks from clinics, hospitals or laboratories to
plan and coordinate selection of appropriate samples, assays and/or
shipment of specimens to Abbott/APDC sites.
f) Other studies/projects may be considered.

Guidance that may inform projects:

Please review the following resources for more information about the APDC:
APDC overview
APDC: How do we prevent the next pandemic?
APDC: Sustainability
Pandemic Prepareness in a Changing World: Fostering global collaboration to
strengthen public health and respond to viral threats

Supporting Activities:

This small grants program may also include the following activities to further
complement the training experience and foster sustainable impact of the APDC FETP
Fellowship:

• Scientific writing resources on developing and structuring field epidemiology

investigations and relevant academic articles.
● Conference travel to support dissemination of project findings and foster
networking.
● Community of Practice for peer-to-peer support and learning resource exchange.