RESEARCH 4 COVID-19" support - Results of the 2nd edition

FCT announces the results of the 2nd edition of the "RESEARCH 4 COVID-19" support, which will fund 55 research projects, corresponding to a total investment of €2 million. Support for these projects comes from national funds through the FCT budget.

The 55 projects funded are divided into the following areas of research and intervention: 8 projects for prevention; 8 projects for preparation for various phases of the pandemic; 4 projects for studies on health and social vulnerabilities associated with confinement and lifting of confinement; 4 projects for epidemiological studies and evaluation of the transmission of the infection; 7 projects for early diagnosis methods; 1 project for algorithms for early detection of infection; 6 projects for immune response, immunopathology and immunogenetic factors; 8 projects for new therapies and therapeutic approaches; 6 projects for clinical studies and follow-up of infected people and risk groups; and 3 projects for medical devices and equipment. The list of supported projects can be found here.

Proposals for the 2nd edition of Research4Covid-19 were submitted from April 30 to May 15. Of the 495 proposals received, 471 were submitted for evaluation by external experts.

These 55 research projects are in addition to the 66 projects funded by the first edition of "RESEARCH 4 COVID-19" support.

"RESEARCH 4 COVID-19" is an exceptional funding line for the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, created by FCT in collaboration with the Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation (AICIB). Its aim is to fund research and development projects and initiatives, already underway or to be developed, which respond to the needs of the National Health Service (SNS) in its intervention to combat the pandemic.

This funding line is part of a wide range of support, Calls and other initiatives launched this year by the FCT to combat Covid-19: the Call for R&D projects AI 4 COVID-19: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Public Administration; the Gender Research 4 Covid-19 support; the Call for PhD Studentships Doctorates4Covid-19; the Science 4 COVID-19 portal, the increase in the capacity of RCTS - Science, Technology and Society Network, which supports the internet connections of the teaching and research community; the reinforcement of the capacity of the services that ensure distance learning and teleworking in the academic and scientific community (Colibri, NAU, Educast, Videocast); and the creation of a COVID-19 page on the FCT website, which brings together all the information that is being issued, directly or indirectly related to this pandemic situation.