Project Grant R01AI191221

Grant Summary

Boston Medical Center Corporation received a $487,764 Project Grant awarded on June 18, 2026, by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The grant funds the TACTIC (Tuberculosis Active Case Tracking via Interpersonal Connections) study, a five-year research initiative (through May 31, 2031) designed to evaluate innovative approaches for identifying tuberculosis (TB) cases among high-risk populations in Kampala, Uganda. The project will leverage respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a peer-based community recruitment strategy, to identify TB cases among people who use drugs (PWUD) and household contacts of individuals with active TB disease, with findings intended to be translatable to U.S. settings where TB outbreaks have been associated with methamphetamine, heroin, and crack cocaine use.

The primary deliverables include comparative effectiveness research between the RDS-TB approach and traditional clinic-based index case household contact methods, screening of 2,000 PWUD and their household contacts, whole genome sequencing to characterize transmission dynamics, and evaluation of multiple diagnostic testing strategies including chest radiography with computer-aided detection, tongue swab testing for TB nucleic acid amplification tests, and sputum testing for TB nucleic acid amplification tests and mycobacterial culture. The research outcomes will identify the minimal diagnostic combination required for effective community-based active TB case finding and provide evidence-based recommendations for improving TB detection and treatment initiation in vulnerable populations.