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Training in Clinical and Epidemiological Research for Liberia (TRACER)

Award Number: D43TW011281
ORGANIZATION: FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/10/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2030

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Training in Clinical and Epidemiological Research for Liberia (TRACER) - Project Summary/Abstract Liberia is a country with a high burden of infectious diseases that pose a threat not only regionally but also to the United States (US). The West Africa Ebola epidemic of 2013-2016 exposed the lack of trained epidemiologists and researchers able to respond to emerging infectious diseases (EID) and to prevent the high morbidity, mortality and global transmission of infections. The Ebola epidemic highlights the importance of enhancing capacity in Liberia to reduce the impact of EID on the health of Americans. For example, US citizens infected with Ebola who returned to the US were successfully treated based on the Liberian clinical experience and further global transmission of Ebola was contained by vaccines that could only be tested in the West African region. The “Training in Clinical and Epidemiologic Research for Liberia” (TRACER) program will help address the gap in local capacity in Liberia by training young investigators, strengthening the research environment, assisting the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences (ULCHS) to train future scientists, and expanding research opportunities for US scientists. TRACER is a collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of North Carolina, in partnership with ULCHS and PREVAIL (an NIH intramurally-funded research platform in Liberia). In our first cycle, we supported early-career Liberian investigators to obtain advanced research skills and complete the UCSF Master’s Degree in Clinical Research; they performed research that increased our understanding of diseases and their consequences important to the US population such as Ebola persistence, sub-clinical TB, HIV drug resistance, HPV prevention, and long-term symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection; they managed large research teams and published in high-impact journals. Two trainees advanced to the UCSF Epidemiology PhD program. We also assisted ULCHS in the planning and implementation of its own PhD programs. We will expand on this success by addressing the following objectives: 1) complete the PhD education of our current Liberian scholars, advance their research careers, and support them to teach the next cadre of investigators at ULCHS; 2) enroll and mentor new Liberian students in a UCSF-ULCHS sandwich training program; and 3) provide input, curricula, and learning materials to ULCHS to strengthen their nascent PhD programs. The research platforms of UCSF, UNC, PREVAIL and local institutions provide opportunities to study prevalent and EID and to evaluate diagnostic, prevention and treatment modalities necessary to secure and improve the health of the US population. Strengthening research in Liberia will facilitate collaborations between US, NIH and Liberian scientists and provide critical new opportunities to significantly contribute to safeguarding the health of all Americans.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $283,971 )
2026	2026	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94103	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	International Research and Research Training	000	7	7/29/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$283,971
														Subtotal = $283,971

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $285,037 )
2025	2025	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94103	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	International Research and Research Training	000	6	9/7/2025	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$285,037
														Subtotal = $285,037

Grand Total All Awards = $569,008

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Training in Clinical and Epidemiological Research for Liberia (TRACER)

Award Number: D43TW011281

ORGANIZATION: FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/10/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2030

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