Gates Package — page 134

I have also attached a short paper on our ICER in Uganda. Another very productive partnership where many sources of funding have helped build a robust infrastructure used by both extramural and intramural scientists. We also have an NIAID scientist posted there to oversee this program. On the Lahore involvement, I was able to learn a little of the back-story from Dr. Karl Western, our knowledgeable historian. From 1959-1981 the University of Maryland, Baltimore had an International Center for Medical Research (and Training) [ICMR(T)] in Lahore, Pakistan. This program was one of NIAID's earliest tools to help build research capacity overseas. When the International Centers for Infectious Disease Research (ICIDR) program was competed for the first time (it was envisioned as a replacement for the ICMR(T)), none of the ICMR's were competitive and so funding was slated to end for the Lahore program. The UMd Dean and US PI for the Lahore ICMR(T) visited NIAID with a Maryland Congressional Delegation to seek reversal of the decision not to fund Lahore as an ICIDR. This was about the time that the Soviets invaded Afghanistan so the State Department was eager not to have anything offend Pakistan (sounds familiar). The compromise was for UMd to submit the best components of their ICIDR application as individual RO1 applications. One got funded but then later did not re-compete successfully; so the UMd ICMR faded out. On PEPFAR, I would be happy to share my point of view about how NIH researchers formed the foundation for early PEPFAR success, particularly in South Africa and Uganda, if that would be helpful at some point. Hope this is useful; more to come. Gray From: Varmus, Harold (NIH/NCI) [E] Sent: Monday, April 08, 2013 5:20 PM To: Handley, Gray (NIH/NIAID) [E] Subject: Re: MRTC in Bamako Thanks on both counts. For Mali, I just seek some approximate values so that I can say roughly how much the operation---and particular parts of the operation---depended on NIH funds. I haven't though much about your point about PEPFAR because the narrative was heading elsewhere for the kind of audience I expect. But I'd like to learn more about this if it is in a short form. On 4/8/13 5:12 PM, "Handley, Gray (NIH/NIAID) [E]" <I niaid.nih.gov> wrote: Dr. Varmus: No problem. We have some information on Mali, but it needs to be updated and not sure about the budget questions. I will do my best to get back to you this week but obviously want to be careful to send only what can be verified. As you talk about PEPFAR, I hope you will note how the program was able to accomplish so much so fast (in some key countries like South Africa) because it built on expertise and capacity that had been fostered through NIH supported research for a decade before the advent of PEPFAR service delivery programs. It's a good story. More to come. Gray F. Gray Handley Associate Director for International Research Affairs