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Cáritas Coimbra joined dozens of health research organizations to bring a Position Paper to the European Commission, showing their concern about the impacts of Covid-19 on health research and innovation activities in Europe.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having enormous repercussions on the healthcare systems of many countries in the European Union, which raises concerns about its potential impact on ongoing research projects and proposals. Despite efforts to minimize the effects of the crisis, many research activities are suspended due to measures to combat the spread of the disease, from cancelled travels and meetings, suspended laboratory and field work and interrupted pilots and tests. In addition, organizations – hospitals, universities, municipalities, NGOs, etc. – are overwhelmed to respond to Covid-19, having neither the capacity nor the availability to dedicate to the development of projects or the preparation of proposals for the next, and last, Horizon 2020 (H2020) round of calls.

The entities that subscribed to the Position Document know that the European Commission is already considering adopting measures in this regard, so this is not a call to action. The goal is to highlight a major concern that an increasing number of organizations are expressing.

Above all, they want to send a message of confidence to the European institutions, confirming their support for the European Commission in the decisions it will take regarding active projects, where partners are likely to need an extension of the deadlines. The joint declaration also emphasizes the need for a careful assessment of the impact of the pandemic and the postponement of calls deadlines for the H2020 Societal Challenge, ensuring the highest quality of proposals and minimizing the risk of promising proposals abandoning calls.

VEJA AQUI O DOCUMENTO DE POSIÇÃO.