Goals of the research programme
The programme shall contribute new knowledge about viral diseases and the infectious properties and methods of different viruses, how viruses are transferred from animals to humans, the development of new medicines, vaccines and therapies, and how knowledge about equal and gender-equal health can be safeguarded during a pandemic. To build up preparedness ahead of future pandemics, we also need knowledge about the economic and social effects of large and long-term societal spread.
The research programme shall initiate research into identified and prioritised knowledge gaps, and also contribute to increasing the impact of research results in society.
Participating actors
The programme committee includes representatives from Formas, Forte, Vinnova, the Swedish Medical Products Agency, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Public Health Agency of Sweden, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), the Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA) and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE).
Focus groups with researchers in the relevant disciplines are also linked to the programme.
International collaboration
The program is part of the EU's initiative BE READY (Building a European strategic Research and Innovation Area in Direct Synergy) - an international collaboration to establish common goals for research and innovation in pandemic preparedness.
Strategic research agenda
A strategic research agenda guides the work ahead and outlines five focus areas for research within the program:
- viruses, virus-induced disease states, and fundamental disease mechanisms
- mechanisms for the emergence and spread of zoonoses with pandemic potential, as well as strategies for prevention and management of transmission
- development of antiviral medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics
- societal measures arising from pandemics and their effects on people's living conditions and health
- organization, governance, and coordination (infrastructures) of critical societal functions during a pandemic.
The Swedish Research Council's calls within the programme
Other calls within the programme
New research projects on children and young people in the post-pandemic Nordics
External link.
Research projects approved
Information about each project can be found in Swecris – search on the project title.
Project titles 2023: Project grant for research into viruses and pandemics – from fundamental mechanisms to medical interventions
- Protein Design for Pandemic Preparedness
- Leveraging clinical intervention in severe COVID-19 to reveal treatment and pathogenesis mechanisms
- Ancient pathogens and pandemics in Africa
- Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on women and infant health: from mechanisms to scenarios of a future respiratory virus-related epidemic and preventive strategies (ARTEMI)
- Interrogating bacteriophages to discover the universal secrets of host-virus and virus-virus warfare
- Acquired structural remnants in flaviviruses: Exploring structural targets for developing rational non-ADE inducing vaccines
- A framework for production and testing next generation vaccines against non-polio enteroviruses
- Towards a pan-viral map of motif-based host-virus interactions and its application for antiviral development.
- Harnessing CD8 T cell immunity to fight viral infection
- Genetic and immunological basis of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Past, present and future: emerging bird borne viruses in a changing climate
- VOICE - Vector of O'nyong-nyong virus, Infection, Competence and Ecology
- Assessing SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine-induced immunity across immunocompromised patient groups and capacity building to handle new emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants-of-concern
- Broad antibody-based protection against SARS-CoV-2 through Fc-mediated opsonization
- Scalable Label-free electric detection of pathogens
- Shining a Light on Picornavirus Entry
Project titles 2022: Project grant for research into pandemics and their effects on society and public health
- Public health surveillance for improved pandemic preparedness and evaluation of community-level interventions
- A comprehensive, in-depth, register-based analysis of the patient population diagnosed with post-acute COVID-19 condition
- An AI-powered 4-dimension dynamic decision-making framework to boost anti-pandemic strategy: a comprehensive evaluation and microsimulation study
- Generating evidence on the Impact of pandemic Social restrictions on Reproductive health among adolescent girls and young women in Uganda - Lessons learnt for better future preparedness (GIRLS)
- Air quality and COVID-19: An individual-based population study
- The development of individual and neighbourhood social capital and their effects on health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Handling pandemic inequality: an investigation of the relationship between political responses to covid-19 and health equity
- Predicting an uncertain future: improving the utility of computational models during a pandemi
- Setting priorities during pandemics
- Long-term follow-up of individuals with long-lasting cognitive deficits following mild COVID-19
- Post-pandemic immunity, long-term disease symptoms and general health among young adults
- Religion in Times of Crises: Responses to Covid-19 among Religious Migrant Groups in Sweden
- Pregnant under the pressure of a pandemic. Understanding why maternal and delivery healthcare varied in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic and assessing effects of variation on mother and child
- Polarizing pandemics. Identity, emotions, and attitudes toward Covid-19 prevention
- Mental health consequences following the loss of a family member during the Corona pandemic: A multi-methods approach
- Incomes, inequalities, and the welfare state during the covid-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 and childhood cancer - diagnostic delay, survival, and COVID-19 susceptibility
- Understanding and Countering Vaccine Hesitancy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Project titles 2022: Proof of concept
- Host immunity and intracellular efficacy of anti-tuberculosis drugs are essential for preserving the activity of novel drugs against tuberculosis
- Proof-of-concept design of multivalent nanoparticle vaccines against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
- Characterization of the virome in sewage provides multiple benefits in a pandemic context
- Development of a molecular kit for the simplified detection of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance.
- Development of HS-mimetics against infection of pathogenic RNA viruses
- Evaluation of the Clinical Potential of Novel Rapid Cytokine Release Assays to Monitor Infection-, Vaccine-, and Hybrid-Induced Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2, TBEV, HBV, and Other Viruses
- Development of peptide-based antiviral inhibitors against viral and human targets
- Monoclonal antibody cocktails as adjuvant antibiotic therapy
- Rapid parallel screening for infectious agents and their antibiotic susceptibility using superRCA
- DNA methylation-based signatures for precision diagnostics in severe lung diseases
Project titles 2021: Proof of concept
- Development of a Universal Vaccine Against Influenza
- Evaluation of glycan-based antiviral compounds against pandemic viruses
- Host cell targeting of EGF receptors as novel broad spectrum drugs against Respiratory Syncytial Viruses and Corona viruses
- Development of antivirals against Rift Valley fever virus
- Proof of concept for lysin based therapy against mycobacterial infections
- Novel medical therapy against viral-induced lung damage. Development of OGG1 inhibitors against lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis induced by viral infection
- Development of a protein based pneumococcal vaccine
- Prototyping and Preclinical Evaluations of Antibiotic-free Dendritic Hydrogels Targeting Drug-Resistant Skin Pathogens
- A new class of antibacterial drugs with effect on carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacteria
- BioS for prevention and treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) – A proof of concept study
One of six national research programmes
This is one of six national research programmes for which the Swedish Research Council is responsible. The programmes are broad, ten-year initiatives aimed at coordinating research within a particular area.
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