Review of the Special COVID-19 Call under the BRICS Framework Programme
Overview of the 2020 Call
In 2020, coinciding with the global COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth call of the BRICS Framework Programme competition was launched. This call was specifically designed with a strong focus on COVID-19 and covered a wide range of thematic areas. In total, 111 proposals related to various aspects of combating the disease were received, the list of which is presented in the image below.
28
Proposals
Research and development on COVID-19 diagnostic tools and technologies
42
Proposals
Research and development on COVID-19 medicines and vaccines, including repurposing existing drugs and vaccines
8
Proposals
Genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological studies, and comprehensive mathematical modeling of COVID-19
22
Proposals
Research based on artificial intelligence, information and communication technologies, high-performance computing for drug and vaccine development, clinical studies, and development of public health infrastructures for COVID-19
11
Proposals
Epidemiological studies and clinical trials on co-infection with SARS-CoV-2, particularly simultaneous infection with influenza
Projects Selected for Financial Support
Among all submitted projects, a total of 12 projects were ultimately approved for financial support. Brazil participated in all of these projects, followed by Russia, which had the second-highest level of participation with involvement in 10 projects. The selected projects were implemented in the form of trilateral (8 projects), quadrilateral (3 projects), and quintilateral (1 project) consortia.
The thematic distribution of projects that successfully received financial support under the 2020 call is shown in the image below:
4
Proposals
Research and development on COVID-19 diagnostic tools and technologies
4
Proposals
Research and development on COVID-19 medicines and vaccines, including repurposing existing drugs and vaccines
3
Proposals
Genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological studies, and mathematical modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic
1
Proposal
Research based on artificial intelligence, information and communication technologies, and high-performance computing for drug and vaccine development, clinical studies, and the development of COVID-19 public health infrastructures
3
Proposals
Epidemiological studies and clinical trials on co-infection with SARS-CoV-2, particularly its simultaneous occurrence with tuberculosis
Budget and Level of Financial Support
The determination of the maximum level of financial support for each project depends on the number of participants and the status of the member countries. Since national systems for scientific funding differ across countries, the amount of support is not fixed.
In the 2020 call, which was of significant importance to all BRICS countries, financial support for projects ranged between USD 500,000 and USD 900,000. This financial flexibility enabled more effective support for projects with different structures.
