Professor Teresa Kramarz received a $25,000 2023 Catalyst and Research Development Grant from the Institute for Pandemics (IfP), in partnership with the Emerging & Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC). The purpose of the $25,000 grants is to provide seed funding to help University of Toronto (U of T) researchers from multiple disciplines connect and collaborate on projects related to pandemic readiness, resilience, and recovery. The program supports collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects resulting in more comprehensive applications to external funding opportunities.
The principal investigators represent nine U of T divisions spanning all three campuses. “Having investigators from so many different fields within U of T truly exemplifies the interdisciplinary research being performed by IfP and highlights its value as an Institutional Strategic Initiative,” said Nelson Lee, IfP’s Interim Director.
As the world continues to live with COVID-19 and recover from the pandemic measures, the awarded projects cover topics from COVID-19 recovery to preparing for the next pandemic, to ensuring our health systems are more resilient to handle it. Specific projects include examining the impacts of structural racism on populations living with post-COVID condition (also known as long COVID), preparing for better communication methods for individuals living with disabilities, and using AI to create more resilient health systems with a patient-centric approach.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown what we can accomplish if we work together, which is why we are thrilled to partner with IfP to support innovative research that will help us prepare for and recover from future infectious threats,” said Scott Gray-Owen, academic director of EPIC and professor of molecular genetics in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
These catalyst grants are a step towards larger, more comprehensive external funding opportunities. Investigators have funding for one year to demonstrate progress that can be used to apply for additional funding to complete more fulsome projects. Individuals from government, not-for-profit and the private sector interested in collaborating with these investigators are encouraged to message ifp.dlsph@utoronto.ca to discuss opportunities for engagement.