Emerging Infections Sentinel Networks (EISN) Research

Background
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is offering a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to provide a funding mechanism for Emerging Infections Sentinel Networks (EISN) research activities. The EISN program assists in operating emergency department provider-based sentinel networks, contributing to surveillance for emerging infectious diseases and informing operational public health and healthcare decisions during public health emergencies. The purpose of this NOFO is to fund EISN research activities within a national network of geographically distributed emergency departments in the United States, ensuring a broad, representative sampling of the general US population as well as understanding the unique risks EIDs may pose to underserved and disadvantaged populations.

Grant Details
The grant will support linked groups of participating individuals or organizations in monitoring infectious disease problems, enhancing communication among participants and between participants and the public health community. It will also serve as readily accessible mechanisms to address urgent public health infectious disease problems rapidly, improve understanding of specific public health issues, enhance readiness to meet new infectious disease threats, focus studies on the most important issues to be addressed by participating hospital EDs and estimate the community burden of diseases.

The grant will contribute to information for public health emergency preparedness and response through operational research on topics such as ED rapid triage, throughput, and surge capacity. Research objectives include investigations of various emerging infections and implementation of studies to examine risk factors, determine practice guidelines, and evaluate outcomes.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, hospitals and medical centers.

Period of Performance
The total period of performance length is 5 years. The estimated total funding available for the first year (first 12 months), including direct and indirect costs is $300,000. The estimated total funding available for the entire period of performance is $1,300,000.

Grant Value
$1,300,000 is the estimated total funds available for the entire five-year project period. The estimated number of awards will be one.

Place of Performance
The target population is ED patients reached via a national network of geographically distributed emergency departments in the United States that can ensure a broad, representative sampling of the general US population as well as ensure an understanding of the unique risks EIDs may pose on underserved and disadvantaged populations.