Project Grant 2200173

This National Science Foundation project grant award of $1,000,000 supports the establishment of the Center for Ecosystems Data Integration and Pandemic Early Warning Systems in Western New York. Funded under the NSF Engineering Directorate's Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention Phase I program, the award will support the development of an integrated early warning system to monitor and track emerging pathogens through wastewater surveillance and clinical sampling analysis. Specifically, the Center will advance assays and protocols for routine monitoring of wastewater and de-identified nasopharyngeal samples to establish a baseline of infectious pathogens and continuously track their spatial, temporal, and seasonal variations. Additionally, the award will support targeted research projects, workshops, and workforce development including training two postdoctoral fellows and two graduate students. This 18-month planning grant will lay the foundation for a robust pandemic preparedness and early warning system through integrated monitoring of local viral and human ecosystems coupled with effective risk communication strategies.