Please note, that this call has been suspended as we are reaching funding limitations.
About this call
Since 2020, the global research community has been responding to the COVID-19 crisis by generating, deploying and sharing in record times an unprecedented amount of knowledge.
However, some research questions remain unanswered.
The ISIDORe consortium is pleased to announce the launch of its first call for proposals to support scientists with an interest in SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
Researchers are invited to submit any proposal that:
- Can be advanced by access to at least one of our services,
- Falls under one of the following sections, and
- Is focused on SARS-CoV-2.
SERVICES
All the services are open for this call.
Access to In vivo models will only be granted to applicants with projects demonstrating sufficient justification (including in vitro evidence and choice of model) for using animals for scientific purposes.
For access to Regulatory advice services, please select the Section closest to your countermeasure of interest.
Services such as Access to clinical samples and Access to clinical trials are available only in this call.
Please consult our full service offer here.
SECTION 1: SURVEILLANCE & EPIDEMIC RISK MANAGEMENT
- Topic SC1.1: Understanding pandemic emergence, including research into drivers of viral evolution in human and animal populations
This topic can be addressed with a biological or a social science approach. - Topic SC1.2: Novel surveillance and monitoring strategies
This topic includes but is not necessarily limited to: seroprevalence monitoring, wastewater monitoring, bioinformatic approaches to enable detecting materials (viral proteins, viral nucleic acids, etc) at low concentrations/volumes, integration of monitoring methods into coherent systems to strengthen surveillance overall. - Topic SC1.3: Optimising responses to prevent or mitigate pandemics
Response strategy, human resources, contact tracing and understanding the breaking of contact chains are all areas amenable to research in this area. - Topic SC1.4: Development or validation of methods to predict antigenic drift based on genetic characterization
This topic includes development of tools meant to predict changes in viral transmissibility of new variants and/or changes in disease severity resulting from infection with new variants and/or escape from diagnostics tools and/or escape from natural or vaccine-elicited immunity - Topic SC1.5: *ONE HEALTH* SARS-CoV-2 animal reservoirs and transmission
This topic covers both livestock and wildlife animal species and can focus on:- Transmissibility among animals including depending on the variant, transmissibility from animals to humans, and potential for spillback. Proposals addressing transmissibility/susceptibility in animals should go beyond the use of in vivo models (e.g., ACE2-based studies, explants, etc.)
- Risk-based surveillance of all lineages of SARS-CoV-2, to identify the status of established reservoirs in domesticated and wild animals
- The potential for recombination of SARS-CoV-2 with other coronaviruses known to infect animal species, and risk of spill over
Please note that a similar topic had been proposed in the MPXV call for proposals (topic MPX1.1) and that projects proposing research on both topics (SARS-CoV-2 & MPXV), as well as projects with a broad application, will be prioritized (e.g. optimisation of the analysis of similar samples, etc.)
SECTION 2: UNDERSTANDING SARS-CoV-2 & COVID-19
- Topic SC2.1: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and infection: characterization of newly detected variants of concern (cell tropism, competition with known variants, antigenic characterization, disease progression, immune responses, host-pathogen interactions, etc.)
- Topic SC2.2: Understanding the mechanisms determining the mild or severe outcome of SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern infection
This topic includes and has a special interest for long COVID - Topic SC2.3: Understanding disease susceptibility in the context of co-infection
This topic includes but is not necessarily limited to respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, etc. - Topic SC2.4: Understanding disease susceptibility via the study of biological samples and data from SARS-CoV-2 patients
SECTION 3: DIAGNOSTICS
- Topic SC3.1: Development of low-cost, reliable diagnostic tools applicable to human population screening and based on viral infection and/or variant discrimination and/or serological response determination.
Only proposals focusing on tools able to detect at least two pathogens at once, one of them being SARS-CoV-2, (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 & influenza), or that can demonstratively be adapted to any pathogen, are eligible. - Topic SC3.2: *ONE HEALTH* Development of low-cost, reliable diagnostic tools applicable to animal screening and based on viral infection and/or variant discrimination and/or serological response determination. This topic only targets livestock and wildlife species.
SECTION 4: THERAPEUTICS
- Topic SC4.1: SARS-CoV-2 prevention & therapeutic tools: Screening – Chemical optimisation – In vitro and in vivo evaluation
This topic includes:
– Strategies for mild/severe COVID-19 as well as long COVID
– Repurposed and novel prevention or treatment strategies
– Antibodies or small molecules
– Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) or host-targeted antivirals (HTA)
Antibodies and small molecules with a prophylactic potential are in scope
Proposals for advancing the development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutic strategies are of special interest as long as they include SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern. - Topic SC4.2: *CLINICAL* New intervention arm for a therapeutic trial: repurposing or innovative products for primary care, hospitalised or intensive care unit patients.
Please only choose this topic if the service you wish to apply for is “Access to European clinical trials“.
SECTION 5: VACCINES
- Topic SC5.1: Variant-proof and cross-protective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines / pan-coronavirus vaccines / pan-sarbecovirus vaccines
This topic includes adapted or novel strategies - Topic SC5.2: Investigating vaccination strategies towards the induction of local tissue-specific immunity and/or tissue-resident memory immune cells against SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern
- Topic SC5.3: Investigating the impact of repeated boosters, including but not necessarily limited to the impact on “original antigenic sin” of multiple vaccinations and/or infection with specific SARS-CoV-2 variants
- Topic SC5.4: Pathophysiology of Adverse Drug Reactions after vaccination
This topic means to address the most relevant ADRs, including but not necessarily limited to myo- or pericarditis, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, etc.
Proposals can either focus on:
– Understanding the mechanisms triggering post vaccination ADR, OR
– Identifying biomarkers for the prediction of post vaccination ADR - Topic SC5.5: Alternative immunisation routes and associated vaccine-induced immunity
- Topic SC5.6: *CLINICAL* New intervention arm for vaccine trial
Please only choose this topic if the service you wish to apply for is “Access to European clinical trials“.This topic is particularly intended for:- Optimising trial/boost trials in aged, adult and paediatric populations
- Heterologous priming and boosting based on immune responses as well as protection
- Exploring the need for and timing of additional doses in immunocompromised populations
- Exploring immunogenicity after fractional doses of vaccines
- Exploring the efficacy of vaccines in preventing long COVID and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
SECTION 6: SOCIAL SCIENCES & EPIDEMIOLOGY
- Topic SC6.1: Understanding the behavioural and social drivers of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and therapeutics uptake
Please note that a similar topic had been proposed in the MPXV call for proposals (topic MPX6.1), and that projects proposing research on both topics (SARS-CoV-2 & MPXV), as well as projects with a broad application, will be prioritized - Topic SC6.2: Understanding community groups, structures and needs for development of inclusive, appropriate and tailored interventions
SUBMISSION OF PRE-APPLICATION & FULL APPLICATION
To submit your pre application:
- Please make sure that you have read (and comply with) our scientific strategy and eligibility conditions
- Prepare your ORCID number. If you do not have one yet, please go to orcid.org to obtain your own in a few clicks
- Please make sure that your project aligns with ISIDORe PPPs and one of the research sections of interest
- Prepare a brief description of your request (500 characters max)
- Select the service you want to apply for from our catalogue
- Fill out and submit the ISIDORe pre-application form at the bottom of the catalogue page of interest. You will receive a notification with your ISIDORe project number as well as additional guidelines for the preparation of your full application.
For multi-services requests, we’ll be happy to help: please contact us
To submit your full application:
- Follow the guidelines you received along with your ISIDORe project number.
- Your full application must be submitted within 6 weeks upon receipt of your ISIDORe project number.
Proposals will be evaluated, selected and implemented on a rolling basis as long as funding remains.
Select your service