Funding Opportunity for Vaccine Confidence Research

NVPO offers opportunities to partner on research designed to strengthen the current understanding of the state of vaccine confidence through a competitive award process. The 2016 funding opportunity has been awarded to Emory University.

Background

Effective communications and education about the safety, efficacy, and value of vaccines to individual and population health, as well as the importance of timely adherence to the recommended immunization schedules, is imperative in helping people make informed decisions about immunization for themselves and their families.

Through partnership opportunities, NVPO collaborates with an organization on a research project that falls under Goal 3 of the National Vaccine Plan (i.e., support communications to enhance informed vaccine decision-making) as well as within the domain of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee’s (NVAC) June 2015 Report Assessing the State of Vaccine Confidence in the United States. The NVAC report identifies potential determinants of vaccination acceptance among parents, provides information on what could be done to improve confidence in vaccine recommendations, and describes approaches to measuring confidence in vaccines and vaccination.

Types of Research

In 2016, NVPO sought applications for projects including research related to fostering informed vaccine decision-making by assessing or addressing vaccine confidence or hesitancy, particularly via education and communication. Proposals for projects that have the potential to further the ability to reliably and validly measure and track vaccine confidence levels (with a link to vaccination behavior) or provide/strengthen approaches or tools for instilling or building confidence in a targeted population were welcomed. An independent, objective committee reviewed all applications. 

Collaboration

The project will be a collaborative effort between the awardee and NVPO. In particular, NVPO plans to assist by:

• Providing guidance and support as it relates to the project’s design and development
• Serving as subject matter expert to administer scientific/programmatic support upon completion of the research by participating in the design of the activities and supplying access to vaccine safety stakeholders
• Communicating regularly with the principal investigator (PI) and study team
• Participating in the preparation of publications and public presentations of the data obtained under this Cooperative Agreement

Award

After a highly competitive independent review process, NVPO is pleased to announce the cooperative agreement, Understanding and Addressing Vaccine Confidence and Hesitancy to Foster Informed Vaccine Decision-Making, has been awarded to Emory University. The award will support the research project, titled: Transforming Vaccine Hesitancy into Confidence—Research to Address Parents' Vaccine Decision-Making and Inform Development of Novel Immunization Communication Education Strategies.