F25AS00376 MENTOR - ApeHealth

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The goal of the Service’s African Great Ape Conservation Fund (GACF-Africa) is to ensure the long-term conservation of African great apes in the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species lists all African great apes as either Endangered or Critically Endangered, and all subspecies, with the exception of mountain gorillas (G. b. beringei), are experiencing decreasing population trends. Infectious disease is among the leading threats to most African great ape populations. Over the past few decades veterinary support for great ape health at the site level has increased substantially in some regions, but opportunities for Central African nationals to obtain the skills necessary to effectively address great ape and other wildlife health challenges remain limited, threatening the security of human, wildlife and ecosystem health. The Service seeks to strengthen capacity within Central African ape range states to effectively address great ape and broader wildlife health security issues. This funding opportunity seeks proposals for a targeted three-year Mentoring for Environmental Training in Outreach and Resource conservation (MENTOR) Program to improve the capacities of Central African veterinarians and veterinary colleges to achieve those aims. The objectives of the program are to 1) strengthen the capacity of wildlife veterinary practitioners in Central Africa to address health threats to great apes in the wild, 2) strengthen the capacity of academic institutions in Central Africa to address wildlife and great ape health threats, and 3) strengthen and sustain the great ape health community through a professional network. This increased capacity will also bring needed wildlife health and veterinary expertise to address health security in the region, supporting joint priorities for human and animal health. Understanding and addressing disease dynamics between humans and wildlife contributes to our collective ability to address future pandemics, safeguarding the American public. The successful applicant is expected to engage in a co-design process with the Service to implement the MENTOR program. Applicants may be multi-national secretariats, U.S. and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations, community and indigenous organizations, and U.S. and foreign public (non-government entity) and private institutions of higher education.