It is essential that the global funders learn from the process of funding and undertaking research in the COVID-19 pandemic, both to inform ongoing responses within this pandemic and for future epidemics and pandemics.

The COVID-19 Research Coordination and Learning Initiative (COVID CIRCLE) aims in this report to contribute to this through providing insights and recommendations to research funders, using evidence on the research response across both funders and researchers funding and undertaking research across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

What you’ll find in this report:

• Seven principles to help align research funders towards a coordinated effort for supporting high-quality research particularly important in times of epidemics and pandemics (‘the Funders Principles’)
• Examples of effective and innovative research funding and research practice in line with the principles have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic to date.
• Lessons learned for funding and undertaking research during the first year of COVID-19, drawing from the UKCDR & GloPID-R COVID-19 Project Tracker and insights from funders and researchers
• Recommendations for action by funders to improve the implementation of the Funders Principles both for the ongoing pandemic and for future epidemics and pandemics.

Case studies

Seven case studies involving research projects and programmes that have demonstrated innovative best practice in research in epidemics.

Each case study highlights factors of success in applying one or more of the Seven Funder Principles for supporting high-quality research for the most pressing global needs in epidemics and pandemics, to inform future funding and research practice.

Annexes