As part of its efforts to initiate collaborative research between India and Norway on human vaccination, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India and The Research Council of Norway (RCN) has called for proposals from research bodies in both the countries.
The DBT has invited proposals from the investigators-driven research initiatives with interactive collaborative efforts across institutions and disciplines in areas of human vaccination research by the first week of June 2007. The collaborative research components according to the initiative may comprise basic research, applied research (researcher projects, knowledge-building projects with user involvement (KMB)) or user-driven innovation research projects (BIP), say officials.
The Indian and Norwegian stakeholders met in Bergen and New Delhi in the last year to prepare a roadmap for research activities including setting up of basic guiding principals for the proposed collaboration. The initiative is expected to ensure the implementation of a number of projects that encompass collaboration between different institutions and disciplines (platform projects), with a view to promote optimal knowledge, skill development and appropriate platform for technology promotion and dissemination to the end users benefiting both countries.
Under the proposed collaborative effort, both RCN and DBT are planning to provide financial support to promote development of the vaccination sector in India and Norway. The effort is also to create a foundation on which the two countries may cooperate on marketing new discoveries and related product/process development.
The initiative, which is defined as research aiming at providing existing and improved vaccines for marginalized populations, especially children, in low and middle-income countries, includes epidemiological studies, the development and evaluation of new or improved vaccines, implementation of vaccination strategies, and studies to measure the costs and outcomes of such strategies.
The roadmap suggests special focus on diseases and health problems that are neglected and has prefixed thematic areas where Norway and India are strongly involved in health programmes and research and areas where both the countries have the capacity and competence to be in the international forefront. The roadmap points out the case of HIV/AIDS, respiratory and enteric infections, tuberculosis, influenza, meningococcal disease and human papilloma virus (HPV) as the thematic areas identified for further research.
The collaboration would provide space for studies including development of diagnostic tools and identification of the need for vaccination programmes based on epidemiological studies, development of new candidate vaccines and identification of optimal formulations and immunization regimens for new and existing vaccines, development of methods to assess vaccine-induced protection (immune correlates), toxicity and side-effects, determination of impact of vaccination, including protective efficacy and effectiveness for relevant outcome parameters and the development of national surveillance systems etc. The studies will also focus on increasing the availability and ensuring equitable coverage of existing vaccines and stimulation of technology transfer to low- and middle-income countries, including improved strategies for cost-effective production of vaccines and the development of trial sites, explains a DBT guideline.
The maximum period for completing a project for all projects is fixed as Three years and the projects sanctioned in 2007 must be completed by the end of 2011. According to the plans the award notification of projects for the current year would be completed by October or November 2007.
The activities proposed by the Norwegian investigators may receive a maximum allocation of 30 million NOK (USD 5 million) from the programme board for global health and vaccination research (GLOBVAC), while costs proposed by the Indian investigators will be provide by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India.
The award decision will be based on the scientific merit of the project, expertise with the Principal Investigators and networking or collaborating team, competence to enter into collaborative arrangements, availability of core infrastructure and support facilities to carry out the proposed project at host institutes etc.
The RCN will enter into a contract with the Norwegian applicant for the Norwegian share of the project. Likewise, DBT will enter into a contract with the Indian applicant for the Indian share of the project. The concerned parties shall sign an agreement specifying the rights to and use of findings including issues on Intellectual Property Rights, in consultation with DBT and RCN before entering into the contract, affirms the DBT right from its call for proposals under the initiative.