Call for Research Applications to the MOH-UKHSA Ebola Biobank
During the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2014-15, residual clinical specimens and accompanying data were collected from routine diagnostic testing in UKHSA led laboratories. Approximately 10,000 samples of which 1,440 are positive for Ebola have been transferred to UKHSA laboratories in the UK for curation.
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone (MOH) have retained ownership of the data and materials and have agreed to work with UKHSA and other collaborators to conduct research projects that will inform future public health strategy relating to Ebola.
The Biobank is an open access resource and is available to bona fide scientists from the UK and overseas and from academia, government, charity and commercial companies.
Applications
The MOH-UKHSA Ebola Biobank Governance Oversight Committee (EBGOC) is an independent group that has been established to co-ordinate access to the data and materials for researchers and to ensure the effective use of the resource. Application to the biobank is a one stage process and needs to be made to the MOH-UKHSA EBGOC.
Researchers will need to demonstrate that they have been awarded funding to cover the costs of their research and will also need to demonstrate explicit scientific value. Applicants wishing to access materials are advised to contact research.support@ukhsa.gov.uk for further information and to confirm sample availability before their projects are finalised.
Related Links
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/ebola-virus-government-response