This post originally appeared on Science Speaks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced $2.9 million to support six research projects related to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis on Monday.

This investment is a component of the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative (CPI) — a national strategy for transforming the way FDA-regulated products are developed, evaluated and manufactured. FDA launched the CPI in 2004 to address the decline in the number of innovative medical products being submitted for approval. One of the areas of CPI focus is new efforts to help meet unmet global public health needs. Beginning in 2010, CPI launched a new project aimed at enhancing the development and availability of diagnostics and therapies for tropical diseases, especially tuberculosis.

On March 19th, FDA Commissioner Hamburg and others announced a new collaboration to accelerate the development of combination treatments for tuberculosis. More information about the announcement can be found on the TB Alliance’s Critical Path to TB Regimens page.

Monday’s announcement includes grant awards made in the areas of TB vaccines, drugs and diagnostics.