Wednesday, January 7, 2026 1/7/2026

Anticipating and rapidly responding to respiratory virus outbreaks with continuous air sampling in K-12 schools

Award Number: R01AI170737
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/18/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

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Anticipating and rapidly responding to respiratory virus outbreaks with continuous air sampling in K-12 schools - Project summary/abstract COVID-19 revealed weaknesses in respiratory pathogen surveillance. Tools to detect SARS-CoV-2 were initially limited. Now that SARS-CoV-2 is prevalent, schools and other congregate settings struggle to perform systematic surveillance. As influenza virus and other respiratory pathogens return to co-exist alongside SARS-CoV-2, pandemic fatigue undermines risk mitigation strategies that rely on behavior modification, creating an unprecedented risk of illness-caused absenteeism in schools. We hypothesize that frequent air sampling in K-12 schools is a simple, inexpensive, and accurate sur- veillance strategy for identifying when schools and the communities where they are located are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus transmission. In this study, we will place an air sampler inside each of 16 K-12 schools and collect continuous air sam- ples twice weekly throughout the school year. We will test air samples for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vi- rus, the two leading causes of respiratory virus absenteeism. A key question is whether detecting these viruses in air samples is non-inferior to comprehensive individual testing of people with influenza-like illnesses. We are partnering with the Oregon (Wisconsin) School District which already performs in- school rapid diagnostic testing of symptomatic individuals. Within this unique setting, we can determine if the detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are similar between air surveillance and diagnostic testing of individuals. If they are similar, this would suggest that simple, inexpensive, and anonymous air sampling programs could be the foundation of school-based sentinel virus surveillance programs. We will also determine whether detecting and sequencing SARS-CoV-2 in air samples forecasts broader community disease spread. Using SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing, wastewater, environmental, and mo- bility data alongside in-school air sampler detection and sequencing data, we will develop and iterate a model using air sampler data to forecast community transmission. We will extend this model to forecast the risk for influenza viruses that are not currently surveilled systematically. Successfully developing precision air sampler surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus in a large public school setting would provide a model for a nationwide surveillance program. Such a program would lead to safer classrooms, improve awareness of respiratory viruses that threaten specific commu- nities, and increase resilience to respiratory pathogens that threaten schools in the future.


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 = $774,809 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	12/23/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$774,809
														Subtotal = $774,809

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $774,809 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	3	12/16/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$774,809
														Subtotal = $774,809

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $774,809 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	12/7/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$697,329
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	2	5/21/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$77,480
														Subtotal = $774,809

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $788,684 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM	21 N PARK ST STE 6301	MADISON	WI	53715	DANE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	1/18/2023	NEW	$788,684
														Subtotal = $788,684

Grand Total All Awards = $3,113,111

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Anticipating and rapidly responding to respiratory virus outbreaks with continuous air sampling in K-12 schools

Award Number: R01AI170737

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/18/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

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