- Introduction

EDCTP awards funding to collaborative clinical research projects conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on poverty-related infectious diseases, based on open, competitive and independently reviewed calls for proposals.

-Background

Disease diagnosis in sub-Saharan Africa is highly challenging, as the population has limited access to health care systems. Early and rapid diagnosis of poverty-related diseases (PRDs) offers the best opportunity for patients to receive timely and appropriate treatment, but adequate diagnostic tools are not readily available because of a lack of drive to develop and deploy them in disease-endemic countries. In addition, co-infections with several pathogens are frequent in many populations and represent further challenges in the diagnosis of many PRDs. There is therefore a clear need for the development and uptake of rapid, accurate, cost-effective, scalable and field-friendly diagnostic tools.

- Scope

Projects should focus on validation of the clinical performance and/or implementation of new or improved diagnostic tools and technologies for the detection of any of the PRDs*, including co-infections. The proposed tools and technologies should improve the performance of diagnosis, prediction, monitoring, intervention or assessment of therapeutic response, with a significant impact on clinical decision and health outcomes. Proposals should focus on late stage development (e.g. evaluation and/or demonstration phase trials) or implementation studies in sub-Saharan Africa. Diagnostic algorithms to detect multiple infections are also welcome. Additionally, proposals should provide detailed plans for the uptake of the diagnostic tools and technologies upon successful completion of the project, including engagement with WHO or other relevant policy makers as well as plans for product registration (i.e. CE mark).

Proposals focused entirely on early-stage, laboratory-based studies using biobanked samples are outside the scope of this call. Priority will be given to point-of-care diagnostics for use in resource-limited settings.

- Deadline

- Budget

EDCTP considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EDCTP2 of between EUR 1 and 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

- Duration

EDCTP considers that proposals of between 24 and 48 months duration would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals for activities of a different duration.

- Expected impact

Projects funded under this Call for Proposals should:

• contribute to the achievement of SDG3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’
• lead to improvements in patient care through early detection and treatment of disease and/or enhanced monitoring and tracking of disease progression and therapeutic response
• contribute towards the implementation of innovative, rapid and simple diagnostics that can be deployed at low cost in health systems in resource-poor settings
• contribute to reduce infections by key antimicrobial resistant microorganisms in humans as recommended by the Global Action Plan Against Antimicrobial Resistance (PDF) and by the European Action Plan Against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) 2017
• be in line with EDCTP2’s strategic research agenda (PDF) to be considered as having a higher impact.

-  Eligibility

A proposal/application will only be considered eligible if:

- its content corresponds, wholly or in part, to the topic/contest description for which it is submitted

- it complies with the eligibility conditions set out below, depending on the type of action:

• • Consortia comprising a minimum of three independent legal entities are eligible to apply. Two of the legal entities shall be established in two different Participating States (European Partner States) and one of the legal entities must be established in a sub-Saharan African country. All three legal entities shall be independent of each other.
  • ‘Sole participants’ formed by several legal entities (e.g. European Research Infrastructure Consortia, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, central purchasing bodies) are eligible if the above-mentioned minimum conditions are satisfied by the legal entities forming together the sole participant.

Note

* In the EDCTP2 programme, “poverty-related diseases (PRDs)” include HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and the following neglected infectious diseases (NIDs): dengue/severe dengue; rabies; human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness); leishmaniases; cysticercosis/taeniasis; dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease); echinococcosis; foodborne trematodiases; lymphatic filariasis; mycetoma; onchocerciasis (river blindness); schistosomiasis; soil-transmitted helminthiases; Buruli ulcer; leprosy (Hansen disease); trachoma; yaws; diarrhoeal infections; lower respiratory infections; as well as emerging infectious diseases of particular relevance for Africa, such as Ebola or yellow fever.

More information at

http://www.edctp.org/call/diagnostic-tools-for-poverty-related-diseases/