Funding for the Influenza Research Network is the result of collaboration between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Infection and Immunity, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The funding opportunity was announced under the Pandemic Preparedness Strategic Research Initiative.
The purpose of the funding is to further strengthen Canadian research in preparation for a potential influenza pandemic by supporting the establishment of an Influenza Research Network (IRN). The Network will conduct applied public health research respecting: 1) the development and testing of appropriate methodologies to rapidly evaluate candidate vaccines for safety and immunogenicity in persons of all ages; and 2) the development and testing of suitable population-based methods to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and safety following release for general use. It is anticipated that this targeted investment will ensure surge capacity and mechanisms for rapid data collection, analysis and evaluation before and during a pandemic; as well as ensure a readily trained and available research capacity. It is also anticipated that the establishment of the IRN will aid in the continued development of pandemic preparedness plans.
The establishment of an IRN will mobilize nation-wide research experience and talent in vaccine evaluation. The IRN will assemble a critical mass of experience and talent by linking individual researchers and/or research centres involved in vaccine evaluation, building on their core competencies and coordinating their efforts. Collectively, they will be positioned to achieve more than the sum of their individual efforts.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Public Health Agency of Canada
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