The Health, Welfare & Food Bureau is inviting control of infectious disease research grant applications in aetiology, epidemiology and public health, basic research, and clinical and health services research. The deadline is February 12.

The bureau said the call for applications underlined the importance attached by the Government to medical research, adding applications addressing infectious respiratory diseases will be preferred.

Higher funding priorities will be accorded to:

* epidemiological characteristics of the common type of infectious respiratory diseases;

* role of rapid diagnostic tests in early detection;

* cost benefit of different control strategies including vaccine deployment; and,

* improving the surveillance and diagnosis of respiratory viral infections and community acquired pneumonias.

The $500 million fund was set up to encourage, facilitate and support research on the prevention, treatment and control of infectious disease, particularly emerging ones.

All applications will be subject to a two-tiered peer review process, first by the Referee Panel and second by the Grant Review Board.

Scientific merit, local relevance, research capacity of the administering institution, track records of applicants, value for money of the proposals and research ethics will be taken into consideration.

Guidance notes and application forms are obtainable from the Research Fund Secretariat, Research Office of the Health, Welfare & Food Bureau at 18/F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central or this website.  Enquiries can be made by fax at 3150 8993 or by email to rfs@hwfb.gov.hk.