Translational Global Infectious Diseases Research Center

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PROJECT SUMMARY: Overall As demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases are dynamic, constantly evolving threats that cause significant morbidity and mortality in all populations worldwide. The University of Vermont’s Translational Global Infectious Diseases Research (TGIR) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) began in 2018 under a Phase 1 award with aims to support and develop the research careers of the next generation of scientists and to build institutional strength in global infectious disease research. The TGIR COBRE’s overarching scientific goal is to perform impactful research to prevent and control infectious diseases of global significance, particularly in low-resource regions of the world. A unique feature of the TGIR COBRE is its commitment to bridging the culture gap between biomedical and quantitative data scientists. Phase 1 funding successfully supported seven research project leaders (RPLs), recruited four new junior faculty, and began a pilot award program that funded nine additional research projects. The Administrative Core offered comprehensive scientific, administrative, and career-development support, and new educational and academic programs, including Mentoring and Visiting Scholar Programs. The two research cores - the Human and Population Research (HPR) Core and the Mathematical and Computational Predictive Modeling (MCP) Core – provided prioritized services directly to RPLs, pilot project awardees, and junior faculty recruits in addition to educational and training opportunities. Phase 2 of the TGIR COBRE will build and consolidate this institutional growth and critical mass of faculty, including retention opportunities for ‘graduated’ RPLs. With a primary focus on developing junior faculty, and with the help of senior mentors and an improved mentoring plan, the TGIR COBRE will initially support the careers and research of four RPLs as well as new pilot award faculty. Three externally recruited faculty will complement existing areas of research strength. In addition, the TGIR COBRE will focus on RPL pipeline faculty and on broadening collaborations across campus and with other IDeA state programs. With institutional support, new initiatives in Phase 2 will position the TGIR COBRE for long term success. These initiatives include plans for multi-disciplinary grant proposals and provision of formal grant writer support. Financial and logistic support will also be provided for national scientific meetings to be held at UVM in order to broaden networking, visibility, and collaborative opportunities. A bioinformatician has been added to the MCP Core, expanded data management and biorepository services have been added to the HPR Core, and the Administrative Core now has enhanced focus on career development for physician-scientists. Evaluation of TGIR COBRE progress will be a continuous process led by the Leadership Team with the support of a dedicated Advisory Committee. We anticipate the TGIR COBRE becoming a sustainable academic research hub in global infectious diseases.