Sept. 28, 2020 — Today, The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier; National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, representatives from the National Institutes of Health; Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland Prof. Mark Ferguson; the United Kingdom Government Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance; and the United Kingdom Research and Innovation Chief Executive Officer Dame Ottoline Leyser met virtually to advance COVID-19 collaborations and research.
The White House OSTP convened this meeting as a next step in conversations resulting from regular calls between international chief science advisors and equivalents earlier this year.
The chief science advisors released the following joint statement:
“Today, representatives from Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America met virtually to advance collaborative research in the COVID-19 era and beyond. Science Foundation Ireland, UK Research and Innovation, and the U.S. National Science Foundation look forward to leveraging the research strengths of each country to enhance capabilities needed to transform infectious disease outbreak prediction and prevention. This joint effort will further already strong research partnerships – and encourage new ones – toward predictive intelligence of future outbreaks in an integrated system of rapid detection, analysis, modeling, and countermeasures.
“Additional discussions focused on rising COVID-19 research questions, the future of research in the wake of COVID-19, and strengthening research through cross-border partnerships. The meetings follow conversations between chief scientific advisors earlier this year, and represent the continued commitment of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States to strengthening international cooperation to address the world’s most pressing research and development (R&D) challenges. Participants in the meeting included leaders from Science Foundation Ireland, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, UK Research and Innovation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.”
To find the link to the joint statement click here.
Source: White House OSTP