Research and corona: 7 positive initiatives

Whoever said that the corona virus has brought nothing but trouble? As all knowledge institutions had to close their doors and the impact of the coronavirus became apparent, people quickly started looking for new opportunities to fight problems caused by the virus or the necessary measures taken. Creativity, problem solving skills and partnerships have led to some great initiatives that help accelerate innovation, knowledge transfer and research on the virus and related matters. We share some of them, as we like to focus on the positives to inspire you. 

The European Commission recently launched the European Research Area (ERA) corona platform, which is a one-stop shop for the latest information on funding opportunities for research and innovation related to Covid-19. This platform strives to effectively coordinate and quickly mobilise funding for finding solutions against the virus. As funding is a key element to get your research going, this is a great initiative for the academic world. 

Another portal that facilitates the Covid-19 research is the Covid data portal. This portal enables researchers to share their data, give other scientists access to their own datasets and analyse datasets from others. This all facilitates cross examining these data and finding solutions for the corona virus quicker. Do you like to dive into these data or do you want to share your own dataset? It is all possible!

Together we can do more, but we need to keep our distance. The Resilient Society tackles this problem. It is an online co-creation platform for the Covid-19 response and recovery. The goal is to take action together and share knowledge and solutions for the corona related effects in the healthcare system, economy and society. Professionals can meet online, explore and validate solutions and find professional support.  

At the end of April, the EU organised an #EUvsVirus Hackathon in the fight against the virus. This event was to connect society, innovators, investors and partners across Europe, in the search for innovations and solutions for the challenges facing us all currently. Out of the 2.164 solutions, 120 teams have been selected and matched during a Matchathon at the end of May with the right parties to develop their solutions and help people globally.

The ISC, International Science Council, has created the Covid-19 Global Science Portal providing the latest updates on the responses to the pandemic by scientific communities and their best practices. Also, you will get access to the latest scientific debate on the coronavirus. Are you interested to know more than just the news headlines or you want to join the debate? Then this is the place to be.

Are you fed up with the whole situation and in need of some inspiration from your fellow scientists and researchers? TU Eindhoven’s podcast “Researching in times of Covid-19” may be just what you are looking for. Researchers and students from the university discuss the corona crisis and its impact on their working from home life. You can listen to their episodes via their website.

This final initiative is a good example of joining forces in times of crisis. The VSNU has published an e-zine Universities in times of corona about how the Dutch scientists and students across universities are working together. Many great platforms, research projects, funding opportunities and more are pointed out in this e-zine. It is very impressive to see how much has been done in such a short time span. This publication serves as a valuable source to further dive into all kinds of initiatives that are born in corona times. 

We hope that these initiatives serve as a positive reminder of the great things that can be done in times of a crisis. Do you know of other inspiring examples? Please let us know!