A grant worth $12 million given to the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC) was recently doubled to $24 million, allowing for the expansion of services for the center.
Specifically, the funds were given to the three co-leads of the NETEC, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Emory University, and NYC Health and Hospitals, and will run in tandem with the original five-year grant. The additional $12 million will provide the three partner institutions to perform additional site lists, conduct more educational research, and build out the specialized pathogens network.
The funds were originally provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
“NETEC’s mission is to increase the capability of the U.S. public health and health care systems to safely and effectively manage individuals with suspected and confirmed special pathogens,” Bruce Ribner, principal investigator of NETEC, said. “This additional grant money will help us educate and train more health care workers, as well as develop a national research consortium with other centers across the country.”
In developing its research infrastructure, NETEC will seek to add a centralized institutional review board of record, a master training protocol for research staff at regional centers, and uniform policies and procedures for the conduct of basic clinical research in biocontainment units.
“Infectious disease care for pathogens like Ebola requires advanced training and planning to insure highly proficient staff,” Laura Evans, co-principal investigator for NETEC, said. “NETEC provides education and infection control training for a broad range of U.S. health care providers to improve national readiness for the next outbreak.”