The Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases Network (CREID Network), comprised of 9 Research Centers and a Coordinating Center, is a coordinated network operating in regions around the globe where emerging and re-emerging infectious disease outbreaks are likely to occur. Multidisciplinary teams of investigators will conduct pathogen/host surveillance, study pathogen transmission, pathogenesis, and immunologic responses in the host, and will develop reagents and diagnostic assays for improved detection of important emerging pathogens and their vectors.

Investment in the CREID Network allows NIAID to focus resources on building a sustainable, scalable, and adaptable rapid research response infrastructure that will be beneficial to respond to the unique situational requirements that emerging pathogens impose. Similarly, the ability to expand and strengthen partnerships will allow NIAID to pivot quickly in support of critical research efforts for new global disease threats.

The urgent need to establish a network dedicated to addressing critical research topics in emerging infectious diseases and development of regional scientific expertise and research capacity was identified as a result of NIAID’s lessons learned from prior infectious disease outbreaks including Ebola and Zika, and the need to respond quickly to emerging outbreaks. It is also consistent with lessons learned from global responses to HIV/AIDs, West Nile virus, anthrax, and H1N1 influenza. The CREID Network offers an important flexible mechanism where resources can quickly be deployed to initiate critical research efforts supporting outbreak response to limit morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death).

The CREID Network is committed to broadening participation in infectious diseases research in collaboration with scientists working around the world. CREID Research Centers support early career scientists in other countries to further strengthen capabilities for locally led investigations before, during and after infectious disease outbreaks. The CREID Coordinating Center implements a Pilot Research Program in collaboration with the Research Centers to support and mentor the next generation of emerging infectious disease researchers and in-country scientists. This program helps develop capacity for research in high-risk regions around the world. Through these efforts, the Network aims to sustain long-term collaborative relationships in emerging infectious disease research needed to prevent or mitigate outbreaks.