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The Botnar Research Centre for Child Health is calling on its four partner institutions, the University of Basel, ETH Zurich, University Children’s Hospital Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, to submit proposals for short-term projects to develop diagnostics, increase understanding of the human immune response to COVID-19 and improve treatment and clinical management of patients infected with the virus. Awards of up to CHF2.5 million (€2.3 million) are available. Application deadline: 8 April.
The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is calling for scientists in the country to submit project proposals for multidisciplinary research in COVID-19, which will be funded within its existing programmes, but assessed in a new fast track procedure. The fast track is open to proposals that deal with the prevention, early detection, containment, causes and effects of epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19. This includes research focussed on the technical, ecological, economic, political, legal, medical, cultural, psychological, or ethical implications. Application deadline: 30 September.
The European Commission has selected Irish diagnostics specialist Hibergene to lead the 18th project to be awarded funding under its fast track programme to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. The €1 million project, ‘HG nCov19 test’ aims to develop and validate a rapid molecular diagnostic test for COVID-19. The award brings the total of COVID-19 funding from Horizon 2020 to €48.5 million.
The British Medical Association Foundation for Medical Research is offering a £65,000 grant to fund COVID-19 research. Eligible candidates are medical practitioners or research scientists based in UK. Application deadline: April 3
The UK government has launched Techforce 19, an assisted living programme offering up to £25,000 grants to technology companies to speed the introduction of products that support the elderly and those in need during the COVID-19 outbreak. Application deadline: April 1.
Spain’s La Caixa Foundation has issued a call for research projects to prevent, treat, monitor and diagnose coronavirus infections. The money is for research carried out by public or non-profit entities, including universities, research centres and hospitals. Grants of up to €300,000 per project, for a maximum of 24 months, will be awarded. Application deadline: 15 April.
The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is looking to fund projects using data science to improve the response of public bodies to COVID-19 and future pandemics. The scope covers processing, analysing and presentation of data to provide information for citizens and healthcare services that will enable them to better prepare for pandemics. Another objective is to optimise best practices for public health and improve the general public’s compliance with control measures. A total of €3 million is available, with maximum grants per project of €240,000. Application deadline: 28 May.
Poland’s National Science Centre opened an “express” call for proposals for fundamental research “to understand the mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.” The PLN10 million (€2.2 million) call, intended as a top-up to researchers already working in the field, will be mainly for research into how the virus works, how to protect against the disease, and the social and psychological effects of the pandemic. Deadline for applications is 14 April, with awards promised in early May.
DNA manufacturing specialist, Cobra Biologics and the Karolinska Institutet announced they were awarded €3 million as one of 17 COVID-19 projects funded by Horizon 2020. The funding will be used for preclinical research and a phase I clinical trial of a DNA vaccine, to be developed by the Opencorona consortium. The first human trials will take place in 2021.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research published details of 49 projects in which it is investing CA$25.8 million (US$18.2 million) of the CA$275 million in extra funding dedicated to COVID-19 research announced on 11 March. The projects are focused on aspects of controlling the pandemic, including clinical management, development of vaccines and diagnostics, the transmission dynamics of the virus, and social and policy countermeasures.
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