Deadline: July 5, 2021.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and TWAS have partnered to promote and support quick-response research on key challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible consequences. The IsDB-TWAS Joint Research & Technology Transfer Grant programme is fully funded by the IsDB and established to develop collaboration between researchers of IsDB member countries. Under this programme, qualified researchers from 57 IsDB countries* are invited to form a joint research collaboration consisting of two groups from different countries working on areas related to the COVID-19 pandemic

RESEARCH AREA

Examples of specific themes include, but are not limited to:

• Epidemiology of COVID-19
• Dealing with consequences of COVID-19
• Regional studies of COVID-19 infection
• Identification of possible sources of viruses: prevention of new zoonotic diseases
• HIV, SARS, MERS, COVID-19: lessons to learn on infections arising through species jump
• Evolution of viral disease: from animal to human and mutations of human strains
• Developing an emergency R&D response to any emerging infectious disease
• Discovery and development of diagnostics and therapeutics in viral outbreaks
• Dealing with viral infections: real-time data collection of the spread and preparation for future outbreaks
• Remote diagnosis and treatment

ELIGIBILITY

• Each Principle Investigator (PI) must be a national of an IsDB member country and hold a PhD with good research experience and lead each research group. (Note: The PI will be responsible for the coordination of the research, submission of requested documentation and reporting of the expenses. All TWAS correspondence will be with each PI).
• One PI MUST be from an IsDB Least Developed Member Country and the other from any of the eligible IsDB member countries.
• Each member of the group should operate in a university or research institution in one of the IsDB member countries and should be represented in the proposal by a PI. No age limit is applied to the applicant.
• Applications from women scientists are especially encouraged.
• Individual young scientists or leaders of research units currently holding a TWAS Research Grant in the Basic Sciences are not eligible.

GRANT

The grant amounts to a maximum of USD 50,000 per research group ­­– USD 100,000 total for the joint-project.

APPLICATION

• Applications must be submitted online via the TWAS online portal. The link to this page is found at the bottom of this page.
• Applications not submitted via this online portal will not be considered.
• No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Please note that a researcher may only submit one application at a time and for only one kind of grant (either as an IsDB-TWAS grant or as an individual grant, as a research unit, COMSTECH or the OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship). Applicants cannot apply for other TWAS programmes i.e. Postdoctoral, Visiting Scholar and Visiting Researcher programme within the same year in order to be present in their home country throughout the duration of the grant.
• For any queries please write to isdb@twas.org

OFFICIAL LINK