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The government of Luxembourg announced a fund of up to €30 million for research, development and manufacture of products to help combat COVID-19. In R&D, the government is looking to back projects on medical devices, protective equipment, disinfectants, and the development of improved manufacturing processes for these products. Projects will get up to 80 per cent of costs, or up to 100 per cent for fundamental research. For investments in manufacturing facilities for these products, a subsidy covering 80 per cent of costs is available. Companies may also be eligible for guarantees to cover losses linked to investments in COVID-19-related manufacturing capacity.
EIT Health has launched a called inviting EIT partners to send proposals for COVID-19 projects with rapid implementation. Projects should have an immediate impact that can be scaled internationally and involve cooperation between universities and companies. EIT Health is funding each project with up to €600,000. Vaccine and drug development is not supported under this call.
The Spanish National Research Council has been taking steps to improve and enhance research on COVID-19 through various activities. These include setting up a COVID-19 coordination team to ensure all research and technical capacity is dedicated to tackling the novel coronavirus. For example, the council has made polymerase chain reaction facilities for running diagnostic tests, and 3D printers and reagents, available to central and regional authorities. The research council has also launched a Global Health platform involving 150 research groups, to study transmission mechanics, develop diagnostics and work on an antigen-based vaccine.
Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland have issued a call for projects to address immediate challenges posed by the coronavirus in Ireland. The rapid response funding is open to a broad variety of research fields, such as monitoring, frontline healthcare, re-purposing of technologies and drugs, diagnostics and mitigation. To be eligible, applicants must be from a research institution or from a client company of one of the following government agencies: Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Údaras Na Gaeltachta or a Local Enterprise Office.
The Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Research Council are calling on small businesses to develop an easy to use COVID-19 diagnostic for home use. The test should be rapid, single-use and rely on a sample other than a nasopharyngeal swab. It must be capable of detecting the virus within three days of the first symptoms. A budget of up to CA$2.3 million will be awarded. Application deadline: 20 April.
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is looking for alternative filtration material for personal protective equipment including N95 respirators and surgical masks for healthcare workers. With the pandemic affecting global supply chains, there is need for material which is sourced and manufactured exclusively in Canada. The funding process will be divided in two phases. For phase 1, the NRC will make available two grants of CA$1 million for up to seven days, and, depending on results of an evaluation, a grant of CA$5 million will be awarded to the winner. Application deadline: 13 April.
The Canadian arm of Brazilian multinational mining company Vale issued a call for fast turnaround projects to improve risk monitoring, prevention and patient monitoring. It is seeking ideas from companies, startups, institutions, governments, universities and professionals, for low-cost products and services that can be in use within 15 days of the approval date. The focus should be on identifying risk areas, educating the population, preventing new contamination, and ensuring the safety of people working in essential services. Application deadline: 9 April.
Roche Canada has launched the COVID-19 Innovation Challenge, looking for interdisciplinary projects to address problems facing the country during the pandemic. It will fund research relevant to the healthcare system and the biological, social, and psychological impacts of the disease. Individual applications will be awarded up to C$50,000 (€32,810) and team applications up C$100,000 (€65,000). Eligible candidates should be based in Canada, application deadline: April 10.
Omidyar Network India has set up a rapid response fund for tech projects aimed at COVID-19 monitoring and diagnostics, as well as enhancing resilience of workers and small businesses during the pandemic. The philanthropic Indian company works with entrepreneurs from the private, non-profit and public sectors to help lower and middle income populations impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Application deadline: 15 April.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with Co-Creation Hub and the German Corporation for International Cooperation, opened a call for proposals aimed at staunching the flow of misinformation, boosting the local production of medical supplies and improving the food value chain, as part of the response to the encroaching COVID-19 pandemic. Eight African companies have been already awarded a $5,000 grant. Projects should be based on African languages and targeted at semi-urban and rural populations across Africa. Click here to apply for funding.
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