Conference, Logistical, and Exchange Scientist Support Task Order

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) promotes and supports scientific
research and training internationally to reduce disparities in global
health. Located in Bethesda, Maryland, it has been the international
training and research arm of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for
35 years.

As a part of carrying out its mission, FIC conducts and supports
conferences worldwide, with many held in developing countries and/or
with participants from developing countries.

In order to carry out the FIC programs efficiently, an organization well
versed in providing travel and logistical support for foreign and
domestic conferences as well as supporting foreign visiting scientists
is needed. As part of the logistical support, the FIC hosts the exchange
of foreign investigators frequently on-site at NIH to collaborate in
various studies and programs. These exchange scientist's come from many
different countries, including developing countries, and their length of
stay normally ranges from 3 to 6 months. The collaboration can continue
in the exchange scientist's country with possible further visits. The
contractor will work with Fogarty International Center to provide
conference support services, and to assist participants from the United
States and abroad, particularly developing countries with appropriate
travel and other logistical assistance.

The contractor will be responsible for the following tasks:

[Logistical Support]{.underline}

-   Arrange and pay for conference facility within the U.S. and abroad,
    particularly developing countries.

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-   Provide on-site logistical support within the U.S. and abroad,
    particularly developing countries.

-   Disburse funds in foreign country when on-site as necessary.

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-   Act as a point of contact between participants and FIC staff and
    co-organizers prior to and following the conferences.

-   Identify and work with foreign sub-contractors for conferences.

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-   Provide escort service for high-level foreign officials.

-   Prepare conference materials and deliver to participants, project
    officer and/or conference site within the U.S. and abroad.

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-   Provide support for participants who may be from the United States
    or any other country. This may include, but is not limited to:

    1.  Arrange air travel to and from Conference site.

    2.  Arrange and pay for hotel accommodations and local travel at
        Conference location. This may require disbursing funds on site
        within developing countries.

    3.  Disburse funds in advance to participants, particularly foreign
        participants related to local transportation and meals.

    4.  Provide Visa assistance.

-   Provide monthly stipend/support to foreign investigators or their
    foreign institution at an average monthly cost of \$5,000 for each
    investigator.

[Travel Support]{.underline}

-   After conference, reimburse per diem (to include hotel costs,
    departure tax, ground transportation, Visa costs and meals &
    incidental expenses) to participants by FedEx. The per diem amount
    will be calculated using Federal Government travel regulations.
    Conference participant lists will be provided to the contractor.

-   Some participants, particularly from developing countries may
    require their travel reimbursement of per diem, and ground
    transportation be paid on a daily basis on-site and reimbursement of
    air travel costs immediately before departure at conclusion of
    conference.

-   The contractor will be responsible for arranging travel for
    conference participants. The project officer may request itineraries
    for ticketed passengers as well as a status report of flight
    arrangements and per diem amounts.

-   Arrange for travel for exchange scientists as needed and provide
    reimbursement.

[Other Support]{.underline}

-   The contractor must be familiar with IRS reporting procedures for
    foreign visitors and related activities.

# Publications

-   Name badges

-   Tent Cards

-   Arrange for meeting summaries, reports, or proceedings

There will be a single contractor for all support and it will be for a
period of 1 year with 4 one-year options. Total funding amount for this
year will be \$200,000.

**Some of the activities that have been identified in the coming months
are:**

[Multinational Influenza Seasonality of Mortality Study]{.underline}

International meetings for the on-going MISMS study (Multinational
Influenza Seasonality of Mortality Study) conducted by a team of
epidemiologists from the Fogarty International Center and National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (FIC/NIAID). These meetings
will be held to discuss research findings related to control strategies
of epidemic and pandemic influenza control.

Short-term visits of foreign investigators to FIC/NIH to train in
quantitative analyses of influenza mortality patterns and control.
Support for training of foreign influenza investigators possibly from
Hungary. Support for travel for investigators to train/analyze further
national data (Asia, Latin America, Europe).

This will be for approximately 3-4 investigators for a total of 16
person-months at an average monthly cost of \$5,000 for each
investigator. The influenza mortality burden has been traditionally
assessed by analyzing monthly time series of pneumonia and influenza and
all-cause deaths and deriving winter "excess mortality" above a seasonal
baseline. Estimation of trends in excess mortality in different
countries allows to compare and validate the impact of various
vaccination strategies \[1, 2, 3\], as well as the role of demographics,
climate and population density \[4\]. However very few studies have
attempted to compare the mortality and morbidity burden of epidemic and
pandemic influenza and the impact of control strategies (vaccination,
antivirals) in different countries.

Presentation of results from 6 of the G8 countries regarding historic
disease burden of pandemic and epidemic influenza, current policies of
seasonal influenza control, implication of findings for current and
future policies including pandemic planning.   Presentation at 1-2
regional meetings of investigators (Latin America, Taiwan) subject to
the availability of funds.

[]{.mark}

Implication of results on aggregate demand estimates of vaccine.

Support for continued assessments of influenza disease burden in
non-temperate and temperate climates and population impact of various
different vaccine formulations (adjuvated, whole virus). Analysis of
global transmission patterns through aggregation of multi-country
databases.

[Elucidate Geo-Temporal Patterns of Diarrhea in Resource Poor Parts of
World]{.underline}

Diarrhea disease is an endemic health problem in much of the world,
especially among underdeveloped countries where it has been estimated
that children under the age of five suffer from 3.2 -- 3.5 episodes per
child per year. Mortality from diarrhea is greatest in those areas where
there are least resources, including those to accurately measure and
deliver quality health care settings.

Support foreign investigator to elucidate geo-temporal patterns of
diarrhea in resource poor parts of the world utilizing geographic
information systems (GIS) to map infectious disease prevalence and
transmission risk. This will be for one investigator for approximately 6
months at an average monthly cost of \$5,000.

[NIH-Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Symposium(JSPS)]{.underline}

Travel support of approximately 5-6 speakers from the U.S. to this
symposium, which will be held at NIH in November 2006. Logistical
support of conference as needed.

Other activities in the year will be identified as they are formulated.

1\. Carrat F, Valleron AJ. Influenza Mortality Among the Elderly in
France, 1980-90: How Many Deaths May Have Been Avoided Through
Vaccination? J Epidemiol Community Health 1995;49:419-25

*2. Reichert TA, Sugaya N, Fedson DS, Glezen WP, Simonsen L and Tashiro,
M. The Japanese Experience with Vaccinating School Children against
Influenza. N Engl J Med 2001;344:889-96*

*3. Simonsen L, Reichert TA, Blackwelder WC and Miller MA. No Measurable
Reduction in Elderly Mortality Associated with the US Influenza
Vaccination Program. Submitted 2004.*

*4. Earn D, Dushoff J and Levin S. Ecology and Evolution of the Flu.
Trends Ecol Evol 2002;37:334-40*