April 17th 2020
Further novel coronavirus rapid response funding announced by UKRI
How is The Global Health Network involved?
Building on lessons learnt in the Zika and Ebola outbreaks, the Global Health Network will deliver and share trusted research tools, guidance and training, for example providing guidance on how to run studies in local clinics and hospitals. They will work with partners internationally to create lasting research networks to support evidence generation in challenging settings, so that better quality, standardised data is shared faster worldwide.
This research project is being led by Professor Trudie Lang and is working through The Global Health Network: ''Research must be undertaken everywhere across the globe during this pandemic. There are different questions to address in different geographical and social context and research is needed to ensure that evidence can guide treatment, prevention and public health strategies in all communities. Understanding why and how this disease might vary in different populations is important now and to learn for the next time.
Access and ability to undertake research should also be equitable and so this project aims to support healthcare teams in low-resource settings, who might have no previous research experience, engage in this crucial research that we all need to happen to understand how to end and limit the damage of COVID-19, especially in the most vulnerable communities.''
This is a University of Oxford led programme aiming to enable more and better research in diseases, communities and settings where evidence is lacking.
Contact: info@theglobalhealthnetwork.org for more information.
COVID-19 therapy, vaccine, epidemiology and policy development research boosted by twenty-one new projects
Twenty-one new studies into the novel coronavirus have been funded by the UK government, including the first clinical drug trial in primary care, vaccine and therapy development, and studying epidemiology, disease transmission, behavioral interventions and policy approaches to COVID-19.
This second round of projects receive £14.1 million as part of the £24.6 million rapid research response funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and by the Department of Health and Social Care through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
These projects build on the UK’s world-class expertise and capability in global heath and infectious disease that has already shaped our understanding of the pandemic and is informing measures to tackle it. They support the UK government’s efforts to save lives, protect the vulnerable and support the NHS so it can help those who need it the most.
UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport said: “The research community’s response to the Covid-19 crisis has been outstanding. In a matter of weeks, researchers have formed projects to develop potential vaccines, repurpose existing drugs and explore the potential for new medicines, and to examine how the virus is transmitted and causes wide variation in symptoms. Pre-clinical trials of vaccines and clinical trials of drugs are already underway.
“The pace at which this work has been carried out is tribute to the UK’s world-class research base and its dedication to the fight against this disease.”
The projects will run over a maximum 18-month period, ensuring timely insights into the current epidemic.
This research funding has been coordinated with other funders and the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure there is not duplication of effort and expertise is applied strategically.
On 30 March, UKRI and NIHR launched a joint rolling call for researchers to apply for funding for short-term projects addressing and mitigating the health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.