Call for projects – FLASH: Pox virus in farmed ruminants

In this context, the French National Research Agency (ANR), in coordination with the ministries in charge of research and agriculture, is launching a Flash call for projects dedicated to poxviruses in ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats), in complementarity with the actions of the PEPR Sustainable Livestock Farming. The aim of this call is to rapidly mobilize the scientific community and its partners in order to strengthen knowledge, surveillance systems, diagnostic tools and control strategies for these emerging viruses in France and Europe.

Created in 2010, the ANR's FLASH instrument is an exceptional funding scheme designed to support, in a very short period of time, research projects responding to emergency situations, emerging issues or immediate needs for scientific knowledge. It aims to rapidly mobilize the scientific community in order to produce operational results useful to support public decision-making and the management of health, environmental, societal or technological crises.

The expected projects are part of a logic of preparation and anticipation of animal health crises and are organized around three scientific axes: 

• the study of the genetic diversity, evolution and virulence of ruminant poxviruses
• the development and improvement of tools for the diagnosis and detection of poxviruses in ruminants as well as the characterization of vectors and control levers
• the development of decision support tools for effective management of ruminant poxvirus crises

The maximum aid that can be allocated to a project under this call is €220,000 (including management and structural costs).