India-UK ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE SANDPIT EVENT:
‘Addressing the challenge of antimicrobial resistance in India’
CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Date of sandpit: 06 – 10 November 2017
Location: Delhi, India
Closing date for applications: 1st OCTOBER 2017
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Government of India and UK Research Councils are pleased to invite expressions of interest to participate in an Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit. This sandpit will lead to collaborative research projects aimed at addressing the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and animals in India. The sandpit will facilitate the formation of teams and development of outline proposals that will subsequently be developed into full proposals for submission to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Government of India-UK Research Council; Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative. Successful proposals developed through the sandpit will be jointly funded by the Department of Biotechnology DBT and UK Research Councils.
This document explains the process for Indian researchers to submit expressions of interest in attending the sandpit. The UK research councils are inviting expression of interest from UK researchers
Applications are invited from Indian academics/researchers eligible to receive funding from any Department of Biotechnology.
Background to the sandpit:
In November 2016, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and UK in cooperation
with other Indian stakeholders established an RCUK – India Strategic Group on AMR to explore mechanisms for developing the evidence base to address AMR. The purpose of this group is to agree priority areas for India-UK research in AMR. At their meeting in July 2017 the group confirmed their intention to jointly support research on AMR. Under the joint initiative £6.49m will be available for UK elements of funded proposals, with matched commitment from the Indian side.Within this collaboration, the overarching aims of this sandpit will be to:
- Build India-UK teams focussed on AMR research
- Support development of truly interdisciplinary proposals, including those that take a ‘One Health’ approach
- Develop outline research proposals that will make a tangible difference to tackling AMR in India.
There will ultimately be two types of proposal enabled through this initiative:
a) Collaborative grants: a small number of multi-partner larger system-level projects aimed at understanding the functioning of various parts of the system, as well as the system as a whole, and which will thereby deliver the type of integrated output required for a step change in tackling AMR.
b) Small grants: multi-partner, small and targeted projects that address specific research gaps in knowledge.
Where appropriate, links between two types of grants will be encouraged to ensure that research from small grants is integrated into collaborative grants. Details of requirements for both types of grants will be provided at the sandpit.
For practical purposes, DBT is leading the Indian aspects of this collaboration; on behalf of the UK Research Councils; ESRC is leading this initiative from India. However, interdisciplinarity will be a requirement for all proposals.
Scientific scope:
Antimicrobial resistance and specifically antibacterial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to public and animal health, as well as the environment. Developing, prioritising, and understanding the drivers of resistance is crucial to developing appropriate and effective responses.
The specifics of proposed project ideas will be formed by discussions at the sandpit. Projects will take a systems approach, seeking to identify the primary drivers of antimicrobial resistance in India, including the interplay between different factors, and potential solutions. Applicants to the sandpit should have an interest in bringing expertise in one or more of the following areas to bear on a systems level interdisciplinary approach to tackling the issue:
1. Understanding microbial resistance from genomic through to cellular and host
pathogen interaction levels in both human and animal hosts.
2. Understanding the interactions of resistant bacteria with the environment, including
their release and spread. Here the ‘environment’ is seen in its broadest sense from
host tissues to man-made settings and natural environments.
3. Understanding the economic and social dimensions of antibiotic use, prescription,
dosage, and distribution in human health and livestock production, in order to
develop effective intervention strategies.
Identification of potential strategies to address the challenge of AMR will be important. Research undertaken must primarily benefit India to be eligible for this initiative, however research which has wider benefits will also be welcomed.
This initiative is specifically targeted at resistant bacteria of humans and animals rather than other classes of pathogens and other target species. Proposals that are relevant to other classes of pathogen will be permissible only if the primary focus is clearly bacteria/ antibiotics.
Funding:
Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
On the Indian side, this AMR initiative will be funded by Department of Biotechnology (DBT). DBT is the nodal agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India for the promotion of research, development and innovation in the field of biotechnology. DBT funds and supports all Indian universities, research organisations, non-governmental organisations and industry working in the area of biotechnology.
The Newton Fund
On the UK side, this initiative will be funded by the Newton Fund. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 18 partner countries to support their economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long-term sustainable growth. It has a total UK Government investment of £735 million up until 2021, with matched resources from the partner countries. The Newton Fund is managed by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through 15 UK Delivery Partners, which include the Research Councils, the UK National Academies, the British Council, Innovate UK and the Met Office.
The Newton-Bhabha Fund
The India edition of the Newton Fund is known as the Newton-Bhabha Fund which is now the major bilateral initiative for facilitating research and innovation collaborations between the India and UK. Under this partnership, the UK will contribute up to £104 million to Newton-Bhabha up to 2021, which is match-funded by India, to address key global challenges of Sustainable cities and urbanization, Public health and wellbeing, Energy-foodwater nexus and Understanding oceans. These are underpinned by two capabilities: Big Data and High Value Manufacturing.
Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit
The Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit will be an intensive workshop which will bring together 40 academics from across the India and UK to facilitate the development of interdisciplinary research proposals which will address challenges relating to antimicrobial resistance in India.
The Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit will run over 3.5 days starting mid-day on day one and finishing late afternoon on day four. At the outset, the participants will work collaboratively to identify and define the scope of the challenges relating to antimicrobial resistance in India. As the sandpit progresses, participants will build up thoughts on how the identified antimicrobial resistance challenges facing India may be addressed, and develop their innovative ideas and activities into outline research proposals. The outline proposals generated at the Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit will undergo assessment immediately following the event. Successful outline proposals will be invited to submit full proposals via ESRC. Full proposals will then be assessed by an interdisciplinary India-UK commissioning panel.
How will the sandpit work?
A sandpit is an intensive, interactive workshop designed to produce highly innovative research proposals. Participants from a diverse range of disciplines come together in a creative free-thinking environment – away from their everyday routines and responsibilities – and immerse themselves deeply in a collaborative process around an important challenge.
The nature of the sandpit requires the development of a high degree of trust between participants in order to make the required breakthroughs in thinking. This trust extends to allowing the free and frank exchange of ideas, some being in the very early stages of development. The aim of the sandpit is not to discuss ideas that are already well-developed but not yet published. Rather, the goal is to bring individuals from different disciplines together to interact and engage in free thinking on first principles, to learn from one another and create an integrated vision for future research projects. While the sharing of these ideas is strongly encouraged within the sandpit, participants are asked to respect confidentiality outside of the sandpit.
The sandpit will be led by a director whose role will be to assist in defining the topics and aid facilitated discussions at the event. The director will be joined by a small number of mentors. The mentors will be selected by the DBT and Research Councils, based on their intellectual standing, their impartiality and objectivity, and their broad understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the subject area. The director and mentors will take full part in the sandpit but will not be eligible to receive research funding under this collaborative activity. They will therefore act as impartial peer reviewers in the process.
Who should apply to participate?
Having the right mix of participants influences the success or failure of such an event. Contributions to this challenge could be made by researchers working in a variety of disciplines or research areas. This could include biologists, chemists, design researchers, environmental scientists, bioinformaticians, engineers and economists. However, we are not defining the disciplines that should be represented at the Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit; rather, we are asking potential participants to indicate how their expertise can address the challenge of antimicrobial resistance in India.
It would be beneficial for applicants to have some prior knowledge of the challenges associated with AMR in India, but more importantly applicants will need to demonstrate an enthusiasm for cross-disciplinary research, as the future of this research area will require input from many disciplines.
The ability to develop and pursue a new approach will also be crucial. Expertise is required from a very broad range of disciplines, and applicants should not feel limited by conventional perceptions: the sandpit approach is about bringing people together who would not normally interact. Researchers who are experts in a relevant research area but have not yet directly applied their expertise to this challenge are eligible to apply.
This is an opportunity to share ideas and develop future collaborations. Participants are welcomed at any stage of their research career, providing they are eligible to lead applications for funding from any UK Research Council.
Eligibility:
Applications are invited from individual researchers who can contribute to the sandpit and the resulting research projects. Up to 20 Indian participants will be identified to take part. Indian applications must be from researchers eligible to receive funding from any DBT.
ESRC will run a parallel, but separate, process to select up to 20 UK applicants. Participants will be chosen to allow equal and complementary representation from the India and UK.
Location and Date:
This sandpit will be held in/around Delhi, India in the w/c 6th November 2017.
Submission of an application will be taken as confirmation that the applicant is available to attend on the specified dates, and will make a commitment to attend if selected. Additional details of the location, venue, will be provided to those invited to participate.
How to Apply?
Applicants should complete an Expression of Interest form available on DBT website. The deadline for applications is 1 st October 2017
In order to participate, applicants must be available for the whole of the w/c 6th November (one day of the weekend either side of this week might be needed for travel).
Please note: Expressions of Interest received after the deadline for applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application to attend the sandpit event by the end of 15th October 2017. If successful, information provided in the background and expertise section of the Expression of Interest form will be made available to everyone invited to attend the sandpit, to facilitate networking and collaboration at the event.
The information provided on the Expression of Interest form will be used to assess your application and demonstrate that you have the suitable skills and attitude to participate in the Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit.
Submission of full proposals:
Attendance at the sandpit does not guarantee funding. Immediately after the sandpit has ended, a number of the outline applications that have been developed will be shortlisted. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to submit full proposals. Further guidance on the process for submitting full proposals will be provided at the sandpit. The following is a summary:
All full proposals will have both an Indian and a UK principal investigator (PI), as well as coinvestigators from both countries as appropriate to the research proposed. Only attendees present at the Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit will be eligible to be a PI on full proposals. Proposals will be able to include researchers not present at the sandpit as co-investigators providing there is a clear rationale for their inclusion. As the initiative is Newton funded, proposals will need to comply with ODA funding requirements.
Participants involved in the projects developed during the sandpit will be tasked with writing full proposals covering their intended activities as identified at the sandpit. The deadline for submission of proposals generated at the sandpit will be mid December 2017. Applicants to the sandpit should therefore plan in the possibility of time needed to work on full proposals following the event. Full proposals must be submitted on the UK Research Councils’ submission system, Je-S, and simultaneously to DBT. Successful proposals will be funded by ESRC on behalf of the DBT India and UK Research Councils (using Newton Fund). It is anticipated that projects will start in June 2018 and be up to 3 years’ duration.
Further information:
DBT will select Indian participants for the sandpit via a separate process. For any enquiries from India-based researchers please contact: Dr Sanjay Kalia, email: [email protected]
For any enquiries from UK researchers regarding eligibility, scientific remit, the sandpit event or the application process, please contact: [email protected]. Alternatively, contact
Naomi Beaumont
Telephone: 01793 413058
Cora Jaitner
Telephone: 01793 413101
Queries from prospective applicants may be shared across funders involved in this initiative.
Important Dates:
- Deadline for submission of expression of interest : 01st October, 2017
- Notify applicants of outcome of expression of interest stage : 12th October, 2017
- Dates of Antimicrobial Resistance Sandpit : 06-10th November, 2017
- Deadline for submission of full proposal : Mid December 2017
- Funding decisions announced : February 2018
- Projects commence : June 2018
