Health Security Preparedness Research, Development and Innovation

Health Security Preparedness Research, Development, and Innovation

Health security preparedness research, development, and innovation aims to use evidence to advance emergency preparedness capacities at local/community, national, and international levels with interventions tailored to each context and available resources. “Preparedness R&D” is a globally coordinated approach to inform health security preparedness through implementation and operational research. The goal of “Preparedness R&D” is to scale-up operational and implementation research that will expand our understanding of health security risks and their impact as well as complement existing initiatives, such as those focused on developing and evaluating diagnostics, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals. Such knowledge would facilitate the development and use of contextual and comprehensive ‘whole of society’ approaches that integrate Science, Policy, and Practice through advocating for sustainable funding for prioritized preparedness research.  

Framework for Health Security Preparedness Research, Development, and Innovation

The WHO is working with stakeholders to develop the Framework for Health Security Preparedness Research, Development, and Innovation (“Preparedness R&D”), which will focus on addressing challenges and identifying opportunities in health emergencies preparedness. The overarching concept of “Preparedness R&D” is to advance operational and implementation research on health security preparedness focused on the 3 pillars and 2 coordinating features (roof and floor) illustrated below.

Preparedness Research Pillars and Coordinating features

Small Grants for “Preparedness R&D”: Collaboration between EHS (HSP) and TDR

The Evidence and Analytics for Health Security (EHS) Unit, as part of the Department of Health Security Preparedness (HSP), is co-supporting a small grants program with the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). This grants program supports research into the implementation of preparedness-related capacities alongside capacity building exercises with grants of USD 5,000 to USD 15,000 provided to grantees working in low- and middle-income countries.

Supporting research on health security preparedness in the Eastern Mediterranean Region