New call to finance further Research & Development of innovative solutions related to the corona pandemic with another €122 million earmarked for this purpose.
During the month of May, the European Commission announced having allocated another €122 million from its research and innovation programme (Horizon 2020) in favour of urgently needed research related to the coronavirus.
The new call is the latest addition to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus which complements earlier actions to develop diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines by strengthening the capacity to manufacture and deploying available solutions in order to address these needs. It will also improve understanding of the behavioral and socio-economic impacts of the epidemic.
The projects funded under this call should be prepared to repurpose manufacturing for the rapid production of medical supplies and equipment needed for testing, treatment, and prevention, as well as develop medical technologies and digital tools to improve detection, surveillance and patients care.
The submission deadline is set for June 11, 2020.
As the Commission is eager on delivering quick results they aim at shorter timelines for the preparation of expressions of interest and providing their evaluations.
Both Europe and the world at large are in urgent need of innovative solutions to contain and mitigate the outbreak. Many groups are at risk here and better care for patients, survivors, vulnerable groups, frontline health care staff, and their communities are required.
In line with the principles of the Coronavirus Global Response stating that new solutions need to be available and affordable for all, the following grant agreements will include clauses for rapid data-sharing so that any finding or outcome can be put to use immediately.
The earmarked budget will indicatively be distributed over five areas:
Repurposing of manufacturing for vital medical supplies and equipment (€23 million)
Medical technologies, Digital tools, and Artificial Intelligence analytics to improve surveillance and care at high Technology Readiness Levels (€56 million)
Behavioural, social and economic impacts of the outbreak responses (€20 million)
Pan-European COVID-19 cohorts (€20 million)
Collaboration of existing EU and international cohorts of relevance to COVID-19 (€3 million)