The Medical Research Agency will allocate PLN 50 million to fight the coronavirus.
The Medical Research Agency and the Ministry of Health have decided to allocate at least PLN 50 million to support non-commercial clinical trials aimed at preventing COVID-19.
The fund created by virtue of the special fund will significantly improve, among others the process of financing research projects, which is to lead to faster development of effective methods of coronavirus diagnosis and treatment. - Thanks to these solutions we can act quickly and efficiently, and time plays a significant role here! The sooner the scientists receive the dofinancing and start working, the sooner the fruits of these activities will reach the patients. This is now our key priority - explains Radosław Sierpiński, MD, PhD, President of the Medical Research Agency.
Fast-track financing for the best projects
As the President of ABM emphasizes, funding in the amount of up to PLN 5 million will be granted to any project with great scientific potential, which may contribute to the development of a rapid diagnostic test, vaccine or effective methods of coronavirus therapy. Particularly important is the short waiting time of only 72 hours for the initial financing decision. Projects shall be adopted on a continuous basis. As the Medical Research Agency underlines: depending on the needs, the available envelope may be increased. The Agency will make it possible to finance 100% of the R&D costs.
The following can apply for a grant medical universities, federations of entities of the higher education and science system, Polish Academy of Sciences, scientific institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, research institutes, entrepreneurs having the status of a research and development centre, international scientific institutes and other entities conducting mainly scientific activity on an independent and continuous basis.
The Medical Research Agency's own study
Simultaneously, the Medical Research Agency started its own study entitled "Research on a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and support for research to find effective therapy". The project is implemented in partnership with Polish and international centres - Research Network Łukasiewicz, Institute of Biotechnology and Antibiotics together with the team of prof. Marcin Drąg from the Wrocław University of Technology, National Institute of Oncology in consortium with the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Medical University of Warsaw and the Medical University of Wrocław. - We join international efforts to fight the coronavirus by implementing world-class projects in our country. I am convinced that the Polish concepts will turn out to be successful and we will soon be able to benefit from the effects of their work - concludes Radosław Sierpiński, President of ABM.