Cura Zika First Round Grants

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Cura Zika pilot grant program

Cura Zika provides funding to scientists performing time-sensitive research on the virus in order to move early-stage innovative ideas into larger studies. The Call for 2016 Research Proposals is closed.

Find out more about the research currently under way at this Pitt Public Health event: Cura Zika Pilot Research Grant Presentations.

2016 Pilot Grant Selections

The review committee has announced the top six proposals selected for immediate funding through the 2016 Cura Zika Pilot Grant Program.

Probing Zika’s impact on first trimester placental interferons. $39,434  (JENNIFER J. ADIBI)

Mapping Zika virus NS1 epitopes through engineered antigens.  $30,000 (ROBERTO D. LINS)

Modeling Zika virus infection of dendritic cells within pre-existing flavivirus cellular immunity.  $40,000 (ROBBIE B. MAILLIARD)

High performance immunoassay to detect Zika virus exposures in pregnant women and general population.  $40,000  (EDUARDO NASCIMENTO) 

Modeling Zika virus infections using human iPSC-derived cells.  $40,000 (VISHWAJIT L. NIMGAONKAR)

Engineering and efficacy evaluation of a DNA vaccine against Zika virus.  $40,000  (ISABELLE VIANA)

RESEARCH GRANT REPORTING AND PRESENTATION

Funded applicants must submit a final report no later than September 1, 2017. Instructions for the final report will be included in the letter of award. In addition, each pilot grant awardee must present their results (15 minute talk; 5 minute questions) at a Pitt Public Health Grand Round event. Awardees must acknowledge financial support from the Cura Zika Pilot Grant Program in any publication, presentation or press release related to this research.

Coordinated by the Graduate School of Public Health, Office of the Dean Donald S. Burke.

SUPPORT CURA ZIKA

Help address the Zika epidemic by providing critical, quick-access funding to scientists with innovative, early-stage research ideas.

Click to donate online, or contact David Tye at 412-624-3608 or dat100@pitt.edu.

More About Cura Zika

Send questions about the Cura Zika initiative, an international alliance to perform much-needed research addressing the Zika epidemic, to CuraZika@pitt.edu.

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Pilot Grant Questions?

Questions should be sent to CuraZika@pitt.edu, subject line: Pilot Grant Question.

Cura Zika Advisory Board

Program Director
Donald Burke

Scientific Director
Ernesto T. A. Marques

Scientific Advisors 
Fernando Bozza   
Lee Harrison 
Cecilia Lo 
Celina Martelli 
Yoel Sadovsky