The Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) reports that 43 research proposals submitted in response to its 2024 Plan of Work Competitive Call for proposals are now under review.
In January, the Swine Health Information Center formally requested proposals to address 11 of 36 research priorities and topics outlined in its 2024 Plan of Work.
SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder said the 43 proposals from 21 different institutions in the U.S. and Canada are an outstanding response. These included academic institutions, government institutions, and private institutions.
“We received a great proposal response, with a diversity and breadth of topics covered. Most have a six- to twelve-month timeline and a budget of between $50,000 and $150,000,” said Dr. Niederwerder.
The proposals are under review for aspects such as the value to pork producers, the cost-effectiveness of the technology, the chance of success, and the experimental design or methodology regarding the conclusions of the proposals.
“We’re examining the justification for the cost budget within the specified time frame.”
Dr. Niederwerder mentioned that a task force comprising of members from the Swine Health Information Center Working Group and stakeholders such as pork producers, swine veterinarians, academic faculty, allied industries, and private company representatives, is currently evaluating the proposals. She anticipates this evaluation will conclude by the end of this month.
The 2024 plan of work research program included:
Monitoring and mitigating risks to swine health.
Responding to emerging diseases.
Surveillance and discovery of emerging diseases.
Those topics included examining high-risk product importation and traveller entry at the borders, seaports, and airports. Understanding the highest-risk importation items depends on the current outbreak situation in the country of origin.
“We are focusing on wholesale and secondary market bio-security and disease surveillance. Additionally, we’re exploring engineering bio-security controls through site construction design and strategic renovation,” Dr. Niederwerder said.
In responding to emerging diseases, the group identified a couple of priorities for research proposals. These include porcine circovirus type 2, type 3, and the emerging porcine circovirus type 4.
They also sought proposals to help identify early disease outbreak warning signals by analyzing farm and regional data. They requested diagnostic assay development proposals to confirm the efficacy of cleaning and disinfection protocols. Additionally, they are exploring population-based sample types such as environmental swabs, oral fluids, processing fluids, and insect exposure to detect emerging diseases early. Their focus also includes environmental sample types for emerging disease surveillance and understanding the clinical relevance and epidemiology of newly identified agents at the veterinary diagnostic lab submission level.
Their task force includes members from the Swine Health Information Center working group, pork producers, swine veterinarians, academic faculty, allied industry representatives, and private company representatives. Currently, the proposals are undergoing review, focusing on aspects like experimental design, methodology, cost, budget justification, and the justified time frame The goal is to identify the greatest value for pork producers cost-effectively. The review process could take several weeks to complete by the end of April, and select projects for funding at the beginning of May.
For more information, they can visit the Swine Health Information Center’s website, swinehealth.org, and navigate to the “Plan of Work” section. The whole plan of work for the Swine Health Information Center for 2024, compiled from stakeholder feedback, prioritized through working group evaluation, and approved by the Swine Health Information Center Board of Directors, is available there.
“Reviewing this plan will provide a comprehensive understanding of SHIC’s goals and objectives to mitigate emerging disease risks for U.S. swine,” she said.
They will also keep stakeholders updated throughout the review process and after its conclusion, informing everyone about the projects selected for funding and providing ongoing updates on research results as they become available.
Additionally, they welcome feedback from stakeholders regarding the swine industry’s priorities and needs. Stakeholders can provide feedback through the website under the “Plan of Work” section. Their input helps SHIC remain responsive to current industry needs. •
— By Harry Siemens