The MIDAS Coordination Center is pleased to announce a new COVID-19 funding opportunity for MIDAS members: the MIDAS COVID-19 Modeling Urgent Grant Program, supported by NIGMS. The goal of the COVID-19 Modeling Urgent Grant Program is to rapidly provide funds to researchers in the MIDAS network to accelerate the development of models of COVID-19 spread and the impact of possible public health interventions. 

Detailed information and application instructions are available here:
MIDAS COVID19 Urgent Grant Program – (174 KB)  

Two types of awards will be funded:  

• Supplemental funding for ongoing work – to apply click here 
•  New Initiative funding – to apply click here 

Eligibility Criteria 
To apply for either for supplemental or new initiative funding, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

– PI’s must be MIDAS members. Co-investigators may be from the broader community. Any infectious disease modeler working within the mission and vision of the MIDAS network can request MIDAS membership online. MIDAS membership should be requested before 07-21-2020 for new initiatives and before 08-07-2020 for supplemental funding to enable sufficient time for processing and acceptance of requests before application due dates. 
– PI’s must be faculty members, postdocs, or senior research professionals. Postdoc PI’s need to have a Co-PI who is a faculty member. 
– PIs must be based at an academic or non-profit institution in the United States. 
– Early Stage and New Investigators (NIH definition) and PI’s from underrepresented groups (as defined by the NIH) are encouraged to apply. 
– PIs who are ineligible to apply for NIH urgent COVID-19 supplemental funding (PA-18-935 or PA-20-135) are particularly encouraged to apply. 
– Co-Investigators may be from any academic or non-profit institution and may include community partners. Co-investigators may be based outside the United States. NIH regulations about reporting and approving foreign project components apply.   

Key Dates 

Supplemental Funding Awards (up to $10,000): 

Funding for New Initiatives (up to $100,000) 

*For non-MIDAS members only, existing MIDAS members can ignore  
** Exact date may vary. The award process cannot commence until required regulatory approvals have been obtained. 

Questions 

For program questions, contact the MCC by email at questions@midasnetwork.us or by phone at 412-624-7693. For technical questions regarding the grant submission portal, contact Will Hierholzer, CTSI Program Manager for Pilot Funding, at wih22@pitt.edu or 412-282-3845.