Imperial College London has joined forces with Community Jameel to launch a new fund that will focus on coining innovative approaches to counter the global threat posed by infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Jameel Fund for Infectious Disease Research and Innovation will embark on this challenging journey by offering rewards of up to $65,000 to projects that contribute towards understanding, diagnosing, and preventing infectious diseases. The projects applying for these rewards can be short-term and high-impact.
The fund is backed by a grant from Community Jameel, which has been a leading force in supporting science, evidence, data, and technology on a global scale.
The first round of funding, introduced earlier last week, is seeking out promising projects focused on the spread of coronaviruses, including those responsible for SARS, MERS, and COVID-19.
The Jameel Fund has also committed to backing complimentary research projects at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
Speaking of Community Jameel’s partnership with the Imperial College London, Professor Alice Gast, noted: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp relief the need to be able to respond quickly to infectious diseases to prevent their spread. This generous grant will create new opportunities for collaboration to protect future generations against this global threat, allowing us to move faster and go further. We are very grateful to Community Jameel for supporting this urgent work.”