CRDF Global Awarded $19 Million from National Institutes of Health for International Collaborative Biomedical Research Programs

CRDF Global has received three awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), building on its more than 20-year relationship with NIH. These awards will span three institutes at NIH, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Cancer Institute, and Fogarty International Center.  CRDF Global will support the following:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)CRDF Global will build on its long-standing relationship with NIAID to support biomedical research, training, and capacity building programs to further collaborations between US and international scientists focused on emerging and endemic infectious disease research. CRDF Global’s partnership with NIAID has supported programs such as the U.S.-Middle East & North Africa Infectious Disease Research Initiative, the Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis Program, and the U.S.-Japan Collaborative Medical Sciences Program.   
National Cancer Institute (NCI)Through this agreement, CRDF Global will further NCI’s mission to create stable, sustainable international partnerships and programs that address global gaps in research and scientific training and disseminate information and best practices that drive improvements in cancer research and cancer control.  Building on the success of the Beginning Investigator Grants for Catalytic Research in Cancer initiative, CRDF Global will now be supporting the Short-Term Scientist Exchange Program, and Cancer Research Training Travel Awards. One initiative will involve collaborating with a university research team  to explore whether smoking among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 is associated with disease severity and/or mortality.
Fogarty International Center (FIC)CRDF Global will partner with FIC to support multiple international programs aimed at international scientific dialogue and collaboration, with an emphasis on South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Under this agreement, CRDF Global will support the Pathogen Proliferation and Emerging Biotechnology Threats in Pakistan program, which will train scientists in the molecular biological and data analysis skills needed to generate data for detecting, reporting, and responding to outbreaks and dangerous pathogens such as COVID-19. Other programs will include Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa); and the Clean Cooking Implementation Science Network.
“CRDF Global is proud to support this multidisciplinary effort in biomedical and infectious disease research at such a critical time in our world,” said Michael Dignam, President and CEO of CRDF Global. “We are committed to strengthening health systems to better prevent, detect, and respond effectively to disease threats. As the scientific community focuses on COVID-19 response, it is equally as important to continue supporting international collaborative research focused on innovative solutions to diseases like cancer, TB, HIV, and other emerging diseases. We are excited to work with NIH to help equip scientists with the knowledge and tools necessary for protecting and improving health around the world.”