# Project 3: Responding to Changing Serological and Viral Information around COVID-19 (RESPOND)

> **NIH NIH U54** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $141,622

## Abstract

Project Summary
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires research to understand how the virus is transmitted, what types
of protection are most effective, how immunity is acquired and persists, and how to best encourage people to
make use of available testing and vaccines. As our understanding of serologic and viral testing opportunities and
implications of test results improves, so too does our ability to provide guidance to individuals at higher risk from
exposure, such as first responders and their household contacts, as well as the general public. Communication
about the risks related to COVID-19, which is reliable and tailored to the appropriate audience, empowers
individuals to make the best decisions to protect themselves. Further, when a vaccine becomes available, a
thorough understanding of the barriers and perceptions related to vaccination will be critical for promoting and
facilitating uptake. Translating new basic science discoveries quickly and to the appropriate audiences will thus
ensure the effectiveness of initiatives that can address the spread of COVID-19.
To that end, Project 3, “Responding to Changing Serological and Viral Information around COVID-19
(RESPOND),” seeks to leverage information and discoveries from Projects 1 and 2, as well as from
collaborations with other SeroNet Centers and Components, to develop actionable communication tools for
organizations and individuals to empower them to utilize the most up-to-date information to guide their decisions.
Using a mixed methods approach, including qualitative interviews and surveys in Year 1, we will first develop a
baseline understanding of the communication mechanisms used by stakeholder organizations such as
government and administrative health agencies, healthcare provider organizations, and employers of individuals
at higher risk of exposure and disease transmission. We will also assess baseline understanding of COVID-19
risks and testing options by individuals at higher risk, including first responders and their household contacts, as
well as patients undergoing cancer treatment. In Years 2-5, we will continue our mixed methods approach
through follow-up interviews and surveys incorporating new information learned Projects 1 and 2, and from
SeroNet collaborators. Throughout the study we will disseminate our findings through a project website
presenting communication best practices and providing tools we develop for specific stakeholder audiences, as
well as the general public.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10688397
- **Project number:** 4U54CA260582-02
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ann Scheck McAlearney
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $141,622
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2020-09-18 → 2025-03-24

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10688397

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10688397, Project 3: Responding to Changing Serological and Viral Information around COVID-19 (RESPOND) (4U54CA260582-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10688397. Licensed CC0.

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