Biomedical scientists in North America, the United Kingdom, and tropical nations will need to work together to win funding from a new $25 million research effort to fight infectious diseases.
Yesterday, the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust and the U.S.-based Burroughs Wellcome Fund unveiled an Infectious Diseases Initiative that aims to promote equal research partnerships among developed and tropical developing nations. "It is clear that forming global partnerships ... is a key step toward reducing the health toll of infectious diseases," said fund President Enriqueta Bond.
The multinational teams--which must include members from the United States or Canada, Britain, and a tropical nation--will compete for 5-year awards worth up to $4 million. The first proposals are due in January, with a decision expected in August. A second funding round is planned for 2000.
