MIDAS ITR Extension

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RTI International proposes an Information Technology Resource (ITR) for the Modeling of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) that builds on the extensive development effort that was led by RTI in the pilot MIDAS Network. The activities for the ITR will be driven by the needs of the modelers in the Research Groups and Centers of Excellence. We propose to use the CMMI approach to managing software development and a process that includes users to harden and test software developed by the modelers, develop computational tools for MIDAS researchers and other audiences, extend the Model Repository capabilities initiated in the pilot phase, integrate existing ontologies and develop new MIDAS-specific vocabulary as required, and provide computational surge capacity required to respond to policymaker urgent requests and high- performance computing assistance to the research groups. For data development, we propose to manage both structured and unstructured data and make available to non-MIDAS users all unrestricted data, a number of innovations and enhancements to the synthesized human and animal databases that were both initiated during the pilot phase, and develop data standards for interoperability between models. A number of dissemination and outreach approaches are proposed, including the implementation of a method to evaluate the information needs of target audiences to increase awareness of MIDAS among additional research and educational communities. We propose to not only address the activities that have been outlined for theITR, but also propose innovative enhancements, including new visualization tools, web process servers to provide customized databases, and geospatial host-vector probability surfaces. The goal of the ITR will be to use our knowledge in computer science, geospatial and non-geospatial data, computational modeling, and health communication, and project-support capabilities to respond to and anticipate needs of MIDAS researchers and, in general, drive and support the growth and maturation of infectious disease modeling. MIDAS will help prepare the nation to respond to outbreaks of infectious disease by providing policymakers and public health officials with reliable and timely information that can be used either in planning for an event or in responding to repercussions from an event. RELEVANCE (See instructions): MIDAS will help prepare the nation to respond to outbreaks of infectious disease by providing policymakers and public health officials with reliable and timely information that can be used in planning. The goal of the ITR will be to use knowledge in computer science, geospatial and non-geospatial data, computer modeling, and health communication, and project-support capabilities to respond to and anticipate needs of MIDAS researchers and, in general, drive and support the growth and maturation of infectious disease modeling.