Dear Colleagues,

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), in collaboration with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Pork Checkoff, has launched a $4 million research initiative to strengthen the U.S. swine industry's capabilities in prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response for H5N1 influenza. With ongoing H5N1 outbreaks in poultry and rising cases across diverse mammalian species, the disease has become a priority for the pork industry. The recent discovery of H5N1 in a dairy herd and a backyard pig in Oregon highlights the urgent need for a deeper understanding of the virus and proactive risk management.

Eligibility and Project Priorities

All projects should strive to address the H5N1 risk to swine research priorities, aiming for high impact, industry-wide benefit, and clear value to pork producers. Collaborative projects involving the pork industry, allied sectors, dairy or poultry industries, academic institutions, or public/private partnerships are strongly encouraged. Proposals that focus on the most urgent priorities and provide significant value to pork producers will be prioritized for funding. The program priorities include:

1. Vaccines: Develop and assess H5N1 vaccines.
2. Clinical Presentation: Study H5N1 symptoms and transmission.
3. Mammary Transmission: Examine virus transmission from sows to piglets via milk.
4. Surveillance: Identify effective sampling and testing for early detection.
5. Transmission Risks: Assess potential H5N1 entry points from livestock and wildlife.
6. Caretaker Protection: Define PPE and practices to prevent zoonotic transmission.
7. Biosecurity: Create protocols to prevent H5N1 spread on farms.
8. Pork Safety: Ensure safe handling and assess H5N1 presence in pork products.
9. Production Impact: Develop strategies to limit spread and production losses.
10. Business Continuity: Manage swine movement from exposed herds with safety measures

Key Details

• Award ceiling: $250,000 per award
• Required match: None
• Performance Period: 12 – 18 months
• Proposal Deadline: 5 p.m. CST on December 31, 2024.

For more information and to access the proposal template, visit Swine Health Information Center website.

Thank you.

Kendra Rose, Associate Director, ANR Proposal Development Services