# Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program

> **NIH NIH D43** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $246,005

## Abstract

Contact PD/PI: Becker-Dreps, Sylvia
Abstract
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The growing, global impact of emerging and endemic viral diseases is a critical public health issue. The explosive
spread of zika virus throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015 followed only two years after a similar
pattern of spread of chikungunya virus. In 2017, yellow fever virus from Amazon regions emerged in Rio de
Janeiro, underscoring the risk of a major urban outbreak. In addition to these emerging and reemerging viruses,
endemic viruses continue to cause a high burden of disease. Caliciviruses are now the leading causes of
childhood diarrhea in Nicaragua, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus continue to cause a high burden of
respiratory disease, and all four dengue serotypes are now endemic. We have designed a program to train a
cadre of innovative scientists in Nicaragua to confront these emerging and endemic pathogens of high priority to
the LMIC institution. The rationale for this program is to protect the public health of populations by increasing the
numbers and expertise of local scientists to 1) describe the epidemiology of these viral pathogens, 2) understand
their impact on morbidity and mortality, and 3) identify evidence-based approaches to reduce their prevalence
and burden of disease. The Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program takes
advantage of the convergence of a longstanding relationship between Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
Nicaragua, León (UNAN-León) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), existing collaborative
research for trainee projects, and strong bilateral institutional support. The program’s objectives include: 1)
Provide long-term, pre-doctoral training in infectious disease epidemiology at UNC to two young
investigators from UNAN-León. These graduates will contribute to the core research faculty at UNAN-León to
address pressing local research agendas; 2) Create a sustainable supply of well-trained biomedical
scientists in the region by establishing an accredited PhD program in Biomedical Sciences at UNAN-
León; we will enroll five pre-doctoral candidates in the initial cohort. This program builds upon a successful
Master’s program of Microbiology in place at UNAN-León and fills a huge need in Nicaragua for rigorous PhD-
level biomedical research training. We further support five of these pre-doctoral trainees for one-month long
laboratory trainings at UNC. 3) Foster professional growth and research skills development among 140
trainees of all levels, including local faculty, to ensure academic and research success. Robust short-term
trainings in professional and research skills needed to become an independent investigator and successful
academician are provided to both trainees and local faculty to ensure that the program’s impacts extend more
broadly. This program will result in a multidisciplinary research team at UNAN-Leon to confront the emerging
and endemic viral diseases that affect public hea...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10117048
- **Project number:** 5D43TW010923-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Sylvia Irene Becker-Dreps
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $246,005
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-05-10 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10117048

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10117048, Nicaraguan Emerging and Endemic Diseases (NEED) Training Program (5D43TW010923-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10117048. Licensed CC0.

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