ICMR Call for Submission of Concept Proposals on Dengue Viral Disease

New Delhi: Through a recent notice, ICMR has invited Call for Submission of Concept Proposals on “Dengue Viral Disease”. Last Date for submission of Concept Proposals / End Date: 07th November 2018.

I. Background:

The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. Over 2.5 billion people i.e. 40% of the world's population are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50–100 million dengue infections worldwide every year.

Before 1970, only nine countries had experienced severe dengue epidemics. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-east Asia and the Western Pacific. In India, the first epidemic of clinical dengue-like illness was recorded in Chennai in 1780 and the first virologically proven epidemic of dengue fever (DF) occurred in Kolkata and Eastern Coast of India in 1963-1964. The DHF started
simmering in various parts of India since 1988. The first major widespread epidemic of DHF/DSS occurred in Northern India in 1996 involving areas around Delhi and Lucknow and then it spread to all over the country. As of now, seasonal outbreaks of Dengue are widespread and occur in almost all parts of the country.

There is ambiguity in all spheres of diagnosis and clinical management of dengue patients’ due to several reasons: lack of well-defined diagnostic algorithm for Acute Febrile Illness (AFI); unsurmountable diagnostic dilemmas due to variation in types of dengue diagnostic kits to be used as per duration of onset of illness; rampant mushrooming of rapid diagnostic kits with unknown sensitivity and specificity; lack of reliable point of care test for diagnosis
of dengue; lack of clarity on maintaining appropriate hydration status of the patient often leading to over-hydration and cardiac failure etc. It is critical to identify research gaps related to clinical and laboratory identification as well as management of patients of dengue and prioritizing research to address various issues which could eventually lead to improved patient outcomes.

II. Interested Investigators are invited to submit a two - three page (A4 size) Concept Proposals pertaining to the following research areas:

1. Epidemiological research questions:
a. The proportion of asymptomatic dengue responsible for disease transmission.
b. Correlation of various dengue serotypes and genotypes with disease severity.
c. Establish incidence of dengue disease through cohort-based studies in outbreak-prone areas.

2. Clinical research questions:
a. Corroborate the severity of disease with viral load.
b. Develop age-specific guidelines for use of fluids in dengue patients.
c. Develop explicit guidelines for platelet transfusion in DHF/DSS.
d. Role of endothelium stabilizing agents in decelerating vascular leakage and haemoconcentration.

e. Effect of co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and obesity on disease severity.

3. Basic research questions:
a. Individual or host characteristics responsible for the asymptomatic course of the disease.
b. Immunopathogenic mechanisms in symptomatic versus asymptomatic disease.
c. Define the molecular markers and biomarkers to predict disease severity.
d. Impact of coagulation disorders and platelet dysfunctional disease on the severity of dengue disease.

4. Community engagement strategies:
a. Innovative strategies for community engagement.
b. Novel methods for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) for control of dengue and chikungunya.

III. Instructions for submitting Concept Proposals:
A. A brief (two -three page) Concept Proposals should be submitted under the
following headings:
i. Title of the Study
ii. Need for the Study
iii. Objectives of Research
iv. The novelty of Research
v. Brief Methodology
vi. Applicability & Proposed outcome
vii. Collaborators with assigned roles
viii. Duration of the study
ix. Ballpark budget
x. Competence of the PI (10-12 lines).

B. Instructions for submitting Concept Proposals:
The applicants should submit Concept Proposals through the ICMR electronic project management system (ePPMS) 

Interested researchers should avail the “Online submission of extramural research projects” facility available at the ICMR website They would need to register themselves with the online submission system. Complete guidelines for the same have been provided on the website ; the same should be strictly followed. PIs already registered need not register again.

Investigators should select Broad Area as “Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases” and major discipline as “Viral Diseases”. The Investigator should select Dr Nivedita Gupta as the Programme Officer.

In case of queries related to online submission, please contact ICMR online team at Ph: 011- 26588590. Email: onlinextramural@gmail.com; onlineicmrteam@gmail.com.

C. Time Line:
Last Date for submission of Concept Proposals / End Date: 07th November 2018.

D. Review:
Concept Proposals will be screened at ICMR. PIs of the selected Concept Proposals will be contacted within 2-4 weeks of the end date for submission of applications and will be requested for submission of Full proposals.

E. Contact Person:
Dr. Nivedita Gupta; Scientist E (Email: dengue.ecd@gmail.com and Ph: 011-26589397), Division of Epidemiology & Communicable Diseases (Room No. 315); Indian Council of Medical Research; Ansari Nagar; New Delhi – 110029; India.