A quarterly newsletter from the Pan University Network for Global Health
Latest PUNGH Activities
Call for Proposals for Capacity Building from PUNGH
Due 1 April
For this round of funding, we are seeking proposals for educational and capacity building activities between network members and institutions. Up to $10,000USD in total has been allocated for these projects; the number of awards will be determined by the budgets of funded projects. It is anticipated that most funded projects will be completed by 1 April 2017. Funds are non-renewable.
Penn State PUNGH, in conjunction with PSU Hershey Medical School, has been hosting an ongoing speaker series entitled Conversations in Global Health. The talks are hosted online between the two campuses and many are available on YouTube for viewing. Speakers present global health research, activities, and campus initiatives. The next talk will be on 3 March by Dr. Alison Gernand, entitled €œPregnancies and Placentas in Bangladesh and Ghana.
The University of Freiburg has recently launched an MSc Global Urban Health Postgraduate Program, beginning in October 2016. For more information, contact Dr. Sonia Diaz-Monsalve (sonia.diaz-monsalve@uniklinik-freiburg.de). This modular course in English is intended for postgraduate students awarding 75 credit points (ECTS). The MSc GUH will be taken as full time study (one academic year). The initial phase will be in Freiburg (9 months) and the subsequent field study (for the MSc thesis) will be done abroad or as desk study in Freiburg. The course includes cross-disciplinary approaches with inputs from several faculties of Freiburg University and external lecturers, organized by the €œCentre for Medicine and Society€ on behalf of the Philosophical Faculty. There will be excursions to Geneva, Basel, Strasburg and other places of interest.
Savitribai Phule Pune University launched a joint center initiative with Penn State University, which opened in September 2015. The launch included a two-day workshop in Pune, with breakout sessions in four thematic areas: global health, infectious disease, social justice, and novel materials. The collaboration is in the process of funding their first round of seed grant proposals.
Interim Director, Rhonda BeLue, Ph.D.
As of 1 January 2016, Dr. Rhonda BeLue has begun her role as the interim director of PUNGH. Dr. BeLue is an Associate Professor of Health Policy and Administration at Penn State. She has an extensive record of research and outreach in health disparities, vulnerable populations, and global health in general. Since the inception of PUNGH, she has been an active member and we welcome her to her new role!
Publications
The network has a forthcoming publication in Globalization and Health on the network structure, logic model, and research priorities. Watch for the online publication sometime in March 2016 as a part of the journals series on Health Partnerships.
Winchester, M; R BeLue; T Oni; U Wittwer-Backofen; D Deobagkar; H Onya; TA Samuels; SA Matthews; C Stone; CO Airhihenbuwa. (forthcoming) The Pan University Network for Global Health: Framework for collaboration and review of global health needs. Globalization and Health.
Global Health Funding Opportunities
Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Type 1 Diabetes Management in Adults (DP3)
National Institutes of Health
Due 22 June 2016
The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support research that will identify barriers and facilitators to good diabetes self-management in adults with type 1 diabetes. The results from this research should inform future intervention research in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Global Noncommunicable Diseases and Injury Across the Lifespan: Exploratory Research(R21)
Department of Health and Human Services
Due 22 Feb 2017
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports planning, design and initial pilots for locally relevant and catalytic research on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or injury in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Research addressing multiple NCDs and their risk factors and research addressing NCDs as comorbidities for/with infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS is encouraged. Scientists in the United States (U.S.) or upper middle income countries (UMICs) are eligible to partner with scientists in LMIC institutions.
International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) (K01)
National Institutes of Health
Due 2 March 2016
The purpose of the International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) is to provide support and protected time (three to five years) to advanced postdoctoral U.S. research scientists and recently-appointed U.S. junior faculty (at least two years beyond conferral of doctoral degree) for an intensive, mentored research career development experience in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) leading to an independently funded research career focused on global health. FIC invites applications from early-career investigators from any health related discipline who propose career development activities and a research project that is relevant to the health priorities of the LMIC.
Planning Grant for Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program (D71)
National Institutes of Health
Due 29 July 2016
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites new planning grant applications for the Global Infectious Disease (GID) Research Training Program from applicants at low- and middle-income research institutions (LMICs). The application should propose plans to develop a collaborative research training program with a U.S. institution that will strengthen the capacity of the applicant institution to conduct infectious disease (excluding HIV/AIDS and select agents) research. Planning grants should describe the planning process and detailed vision for developing a research-training program that focuses on major endemic or life-threatening emerging infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, infections that frequently occur as co-infections in HIV infected individuals or infections associated with non-communicable disease conditions in LMICs.
Emerging Global Leader Award (K43)
National Institutes of Health
The purpose of the Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award is to provide research support and protected time to a research scientist from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) with a junior faculty position at an LMIC academic or research institution. This intensive, mentored research career development experience is expected to lead to an independently funded research career. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications from LMIC scientists from any health related discipline that propose career development activities and a research project that is relevant to the health priorities of their country.
Grand Challenges
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Due 11 May 2016
Grand Challenges Explorations fosters early-stage discovery research to expand the pipeline of ideas for solving our greatest global health and development challenges. Launched in 2008 with an initial $100 million commitment from the foundation, Grand Challenges Explorations have already been awarded to more than 1100 researchers from more than 60 countries.
Translation Research Capacity Building Initiative in Low Income Countries (TREIN) (U24)
National Institutes of Health
Due 15 May 2016
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit applications that propose to build in-country capacity through the creation of a trans-disciplinary investigative team to guide the conduct of late-stage translation phase 4 research (T4TR) in low income countries (as defined by The World Bank) through skills development programming, needs assessment, and capacity building. Studies will be required to address chronic non-communicable heart, lung, blood and sleep diseases and disorders in low income countries.
Pilot funding for HIV Research
Penn State Methodology Center
Due 1 April 2016
This funding opportunity provides support for initiating new research collaborations that could lead to a program of significant research and competitive proposals to external agencies. Studies may last up to 12 months, and awards will be given for up to $20,000 to fund salary support, travel, research assistants, and/or necessary supplies.
Global Health Meetings and Workshops
Persistent and Emerging Issues in Population Health Science
Penn State University, 19-21 September 2016
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Abstracts due 30 March 2016.
Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research
Vancouver, 14-18 November 2016
The Symposium invites abstracts for organized sessions and individual presentations, linked to various subthemes, due 20 March 2016.
International Conference of the Dakar Institute of African Studies
Dakar, 1-2 July 2016
They invite scholars, artists, activists, and practitioners to submit proposals (no more than 500 words) that explore and/or challenge any perspective on the symposium€™s major theme. Presentations in French or English from the perspectives of anthropology, education, economics, health sciences, history, law, language and literature, philosophy, religion, sociology, and technology, are particularly welcomed, due 15 April.
Oxford Symposium on Population, Migration, and the Environment
Oxford, 21-22 March 2016
This interdisciplinary conference seeks to bring to the table academics and professionals from the realms of economics, education, environmental studies, urban studies, sociology and demography, law, food and agriculture, political science, and ethics, to present papers and engage in discourse relevant to global environmental issues and its effects on human welfare and progress.
International Population Conference
Cape Town, South Africa was selected as the host for the XXVIII International Population Conference, which will take place the week of 29 October to 4 November 2017. Statistics South Africa will be the primary organization hosting the Conference, with support from many other IUSSP members and their institutions in South Africa. Call for papers will be announced in March; deadline for submissions will be December 15, 2016.
NSF Methods Mall
Due 1 March 2016
National Science Foundation- sponsored opportunities for research methods training.
Other Links and Updates
2iE Center in Burkina Faso is home to a Penn State Centre for Collaborative Engagement in the areas of water and environmental engineering. Those interested in collaborating with faculty on global health related projects can contact Jessica Ouedraogo (Jio2@psu.edu)
Penn State PUNGH recently participated in the AESEDA Symposium for Penn State Engagement in Africa.
Dr. Stephen Matthews has been coordinating the development of a new online Certificate and Masters of Professional Service (MPS) in Applied Demography. The Certificate and the MPS will be launched Fall 2016-Spring 2017 via Penn State’s World Campus. The core courses focus on Principles of Demography; Demographic Techniques, Applied Demography, Data, and GIS and Applications in Applied Demography. In addition they are developing courses in areas such as Applied Demography and Public Policy and Applied Demography and Health; and Spatial Demography. All of these courses will include significant international examples, case studies and data. Indeed, as demography is ‘global’ and we are working through the World Campus we are attempting to develop courses for the world market not just US. He is also in the process of developing materials for a new course in fall 2016 on Spatial Inequalities (Sociology 452) at PSU which will explicitly draw on the PUNGH dual themes of urbanization and health
Follow our Twitter page for regular updates on global health events and opportunities.
Future newsletters will feature ongoing PUNGH projects and researchers. To be included in future newsletters or for any questions, contact network coordinator, Dr. Margaret Winchester.
Partner Universities
PUNGH is made up of faculty from six core institutions. See each university’s website for ongoing local activities.