This presentation is from the EPA's FP7 Environment National Information Day 2010. For further information, see http://www.fp7ireland.com/ __ The full title of this presentation is "Health, environmental change and adaptive capacity: mapping, examining and anticipating future risks of water-related vector-borne diseases in eastern Africa (Healthy Futures)" __

1. Theme 6: Environment (including climate change)
Sub-Activity 6.1.2 Environment and health
Area 6.1.2.1 Health impacts of climate change
ENV.2010.1.2.1-1 The effect of environmental change on the occurrence and distribution of water related
vector-borne diseases in Africa
Health, environmental change and adaptive capacity: mapping, examining and
anticipating future risks of water-related vector-borne diseases in eastern Africa
(HEALTHY FUTURES)
Coordinating person: David Taylor (Professor of Geography, Trinity College Dublin

2. Consortium comprises 15 institutions (seven in Europe, eight in Africa):
•School of Natural Sciences/Centre for Global Health, TCD, Ireland
•Aquatt, Dublin, Ireland
•Earth System Physics, The Abdus Salem International Centre for Theoretical Physic, Trieste, Italy
•Centre for Geoinformatics, University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
•Rossby Centre, Sveriges Meteorologiska och Hydrologiska Institut, Norrköping, Sweden.
•Wolfson Research Institute, University of Durham, UK
•Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, Liverpool. UK
•Institute of Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
•International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
•CGIS, National University of Rwanda, Rwanda
•Stockholm Environment Institute, Dar es Salam, Tanzania
•Ministry of Health, Uganda
•Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya
•Malaria Unit, TRAC Plus, Ministry of Health, Rwanda
•Climate Systems Analysis Group, University of Cape Town, South Africa

3. HEALTHY FUTURES aims to
provide the scientific basis for
better prediction of future
outbreaks of three water-
related Vector-Borne
Diseases (VBDs) - as a result
of environmental changes - in
the East African Community
region of eastern Africa
One outcome of the research
will be the delivery of
improved Decision Support
Tools to human and
veterinary health workers in
the region

4. The HEALTHY FUTURES consortium
comprises climate modellers;
environmental scientists & historians;
geospatial scientists; human and
veterinary health scientists, public
health workers and social scientists.
Research, dissemination and project
management activities in the HEALTHY
FUTURES project are grouped into
seven Work Packages (WPs)

5. Proposal writing:
Adopted a participatory approach to writing
the proposal
•Time Consuming
•Required support
financial
expert (e.g. in putting together
the budget!)
•Shortage of information – not a problem!

6. Proposal writing:
•Science part – not difficult (c.
40pp of 110pp proposal devoted
to science)
•Timing not family-friendly
(submission deadline mid-
January!)
•Project management tool,
developed by Aquatt, absolutely
essential – enabled crucial
information on the project
proposal to be circulated and
stored, and facilitated
participation by all members of
the consortium

7. Difficulties – only really emerged after
the decision to fund the proposal by the
European Commission (April)
Following a positive outcome of the
evaluation process, partners have to
engage directly with the European
Commission’s Participant Portal/ECAS
(EC’s due diligence process)
Certainly not simple or intuitive, and
assumes reliable and fast internet!
Seems that the EC has pushed down to
the researcher much of its administration
– particularly difficult for Africa-based
partners who largely lack the capacity to
carry out voluntary/unpaid work of the
kind required!

8. In summary
•Mine has been a largely positive experience (of course it has been – the HEALTHY
FUTURES application was successful)
•However, proposal writing and subsequent grant negotiations are time-consuming (and
our application required only very minor adjustments following the evaluation process) and
occur at sub-optimal times of the year (Christmas 2009 was a very stressful time!)
proposal writing is challenging for coordinators, as it is as much about
person-management as it is scientific excellence
•Support is there (from SMEs (such as Aquatt)), Enterprise Ireland, the EPA - and from other
consortium members!