In the Spotlight: Help Us in Our Search for Funding - Tell Us Why You Love WDIN and the Digest!

Hello Dear Digest Reader,

The Wildlife Data Integration Network (WDIN) is seeking letters to demonstrate the grassroots support for our program and its products, across a variety of data contributors, users, and disciplines. Because you value the Wildlife Disease News Digest and likely our other services, we are targeting you to provide your candid thoughts with respect to our work.

It would be helpful if your letter included specific statements highlighting why you value WDIN’s products and services, and how you would suggest the project grows to meet wildlife health information needs. While it is not necessary to use, a suggested letter template is available here: http://www.wdin.org/documents/wher/letterofsupportforwdin-template_final.docx

To illustrate the type of funding we are pursuing, you can read about our ‘Big Data’ idea which was recently submitted and discussed with a National Science Foundation program entitled, Cutting through the noise: Opening access to data from multiple channels for data-driven research, surveillance, and communication across disciplines. Below are links to other proposals under consideration and we continue to look for potential collaborative partners for future projects:

• Centers of Excellence for Big Data Computing in the Biomedical Sciences:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HG-13-009.html
• Modeling of Infectious Disease Agent Study Centers of Excellence (U54) / Dept of Health and Human Services: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-14-009.html

Over the years, we have been fortunate to meet and collaborate with many amazing individuals who share our passions and desire to work together in the pursuit of advancing capacities available to the wildlife health community and beyond. Your letter of support will help us as we approach new potential funding sources or collaborators, unfamiliar with our community. We greatly appreciate your past support, and look forward to continuing to work with you. If you have questions or suggestions, please call 608.620.5565 or email us, wdin@wdin.org.

We are hoping to include a few letters of support regarding our work with a proposal application due in early September. Any letters that come after Sept 1st will be useful in future applications.

Kindest regards,
The WDIN Team

Dr. Kurt Sladky
Megan Hines
Cris Marsh
Victoria Szewczyk