The European Union (EU) and India have agreed on a flagship call topic for international cooperation on the next generation influenza vaccine aiming at advancing the efficacy and safety, duration of immunity, and reactivity against an increased breadth of influenza strains. Improved influenza vaccines should ease a significant global health burden, and also help the international community to better prepare in the event of an influenza pandemic. In engaging jointly on this topic, India and the EU are also contributing to an important global public health challenge.
The call text and the opening and closing date are the same for applicants from both Europe and India. Applicants from other countries may also join EU-India consortia. Evaluation of the proposals will take place as per independent peer review process. For funding the Indian participants, DBT will check the eligibility and budgetary requirements of the applicants. It is thus of utmost importance that guidelines hereunder are closely followed in preparing and submitting the proposal.
For this call, the European Commission (EC) through the EU funding programme for research and innovation 'Horizon 2020' has committed EUR 15 million and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, agreed to match that amount.In total, funding of EUR 30 million will thus be available.
Proposal should make use of new and multidisciplinary knowledge. It should bring together all vital stakeholders of complete value chain i.e. from vaccine research to pre-clinical and/or clinical development in a joint effort towards vaccine development to global cause
Proposals should cover at least pre-clinical and/or early clinical research, selecting promising vaccine candidate(s), supporting their proof of concept, showcasing new pre-clinical or clinical knowledge.
The joint effort is especially significant for tropical countries such as India where seasonal flue outbreaks claim many lives every year. The DBT has come up with comprehensive guidelines for research organisations and scientific community to take part in the project. The deadline for submitting proposals is April 2019 and the project duration is up to five years.
There will be minimum three applicants from three different EU member states and three from India. Applicants from other countries can also join the consortia and the evaluation of the proposals will take place through an independent peer review process. For funding the Indian participants, DBT will check the eligibility and budgetary requirements. Though the call is open to all career groups, early career investigators are encouraged to participate.
