LIVE BLOG: R&D response to COVID-19 pandemic (Archived)

CeADAR, Ireland’s National Centre for Applied Data Analytics and Machine Intelligence, is offering its AI expertise to help companies, government agencies, medical centres and research charities develop AI tools to help track the virus and monitor compliance of the general public. The centre can help organisations with large data sets to apply machine learning techniques. Email CeADAR at: [email protected].

The South African Department of Science and Innovation said it will invest R30 million (€1.6 million) in a variety of COVID-19 research projects.  Among these projects, the Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis is creating a model to track and slow the spread of the coronavirus, while science minister Blade Nzimande, said the department is working with several partners to evaluate the efficacy of repurposed drugs in treating COVID-19 patients. The announcement of additional funding for research comes after the decision to put South Africa on lockdown for three weeks, starting today at midnight.

The open innovation network Innoget has launched a page dedicated to COVID-19, listing technologies and research initiatives that could mitigate the pandemic, including innovation in areas such as rapidly deployable ventilators, technologies for discovering and developing treatments and therapeutics, and technologies to track and slow the pandemic. These will be disseminated to Innoget members, ranging from hospitals, research institutes, scientists, businesses, and public administrations, which are working to control the coronavirus.

The US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority is calling for projects in COVID-19 diagnostic assays, screening, model development, vaccines and advanced manufacturing. The total amount of funding that can be awarded will be less than $750,000.

Application deadline: 30 June 2020.

The Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) outlines five ways in which COVID-19 could knock EU energy and climate policies off-track in a new article. The effects are being felt now, with the EU Emissions Trading System already exposed, as the carbon price fell to its lowest level since November 2018. The EU Green Deal plan needs to adapt to new circumstances, says Máximo Miccinilli, CERRE Energy Director.

The Office of Science at the US department of Energy (DOE) is asking for suggestions on how its resources could be applied to COVID-19 research. For example, it has supercomputing facilities that could be used for the study of virus-host interactions, for predictive modelling on viral stability and for resolving key viral drug targets. Research applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) issued a call for research on collecting and examining data on the risks and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in people with substance use disorders. NIDA says there is an urgent need to understand if substance use, such as smoking tobacco or marijuana, vaping, opioids and other drug use, is a risk factor for the progression of COVID-19. Grants of up to $100,000 per year will be awarded to cover direct costs. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting on 31 March.

The American Heart Association launched a call for research proposals that will contribute to understanding, diagnosis and clinical management of exacerbations of cardiovascular disease that are caused by COVID-19  infections. Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded to selected projects. One grant recipient will be chosen to set up a COVID-19 coordinating centre, which will help coordinate communication between awardees, establish collaborations where needed, and coordinate the findings of research teams. An additional award of up $150,000 will be available to set up the centre. Application deadline: 6 April.

The Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology are together investing €21 million in coronavirus-related business R&D. Contact the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, FFG for details. Proposals are due on April 8, 2020, for fast decisions, or May 11, 2020.  Click here for more information about the emergency call.

The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy announced a COVID-19 funding call to support research to better understand and address the outbreak. Successful projects will receive grants of up to £25,000, with the possibility of exceptional grants in excess of £25,000. The funding call covers new projects and the extension of existing research projects in the area of infectious diseases. Application deadline: 17 April.