Framework for Covid-19 research
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the NIHR-BHF Cardiovascular Partnership provided a robust framework for the set-up and delivery of impactful Covid-19 research projects across the UK. Seven projects were approved and applications have now closed. Find out more about the framework below.
The NIHR-BHF Cardiovascular Partnership framework for Covid-19 research
The NIHR-BHF Cardiovascular Partnership brings together researchers from across the NIHR and the BHF-funded infrastructure to develop collaborative initiatives. Leaders from the partnership came together to form a framework for supporting Covid-19 research projects across the UK. Seven Covid-19 flagship projects have been approved and applications are now closed.
Covid-19 brings both challenge and opportunity to the cardiovascular research community. We know that heart and circulatory diseases are risk factors for severe Covid-19 infection and can seriously impact patient outcome, both in the short- and long-term. There are important questions to answer regarding Covid-19 and cardiovascular health.
Driving research forward
The BHF, with endorsement from the NIHR and BCS, held a series of advisory meetings with the aim to shape a strategy for a coordinated approach to:
- identify and prioritise research projects that could be supported as UK-wide initiatives, and that respond to the Government’s needs, maximize impact and patient benefit, and avoid duplication of effort
- garner the full potential of the cardiovascular clinical and research community in the UK, moving rapidly, working collaboratively and remaining transparent
- ensure alignment with other national and international initiatives.
This coordinated strategy facilitated research projects to get approval through the NIHR portal or to receive support from Trusts.
A new framework
The NIHR-BHF Cardiovascular Partnership introduced a framework to support the development and delivery of Covid-19 research projects across the UK. The approved projects are addressing key questions such as:
- the nature and importance of cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 infection, and how they could be prevented
- understanding why patients with heart and circulatory diseases are at greater risk of adverse outcomes
- the short and longer-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for people with heart and circulatory diseases
- mechanistic insights into individual responses to the Covid-19 infection, its effect on the function of the heart and the circulatory system.
Both the BHF and the NIHR stated that resources available, through the infrastructure they fund, could be repurposed and deployed to nationally prioritised Covid-19 research.
Maximising impact
The flagship projects selected through this framework are spearheaded by leaders of infrastructure to support the research that is approved within their centres. It was not mandatory for cardiovascular projects to be advanced through this framework, however there were several advantages:
- higher likelihood of it being approved via the NIHR Covid-19 research approval process
- greater scale of effort by more rapid engagement of a larger number of centres
- higher likelihood of the project being adequately supported and resourced in each centre
- increased chances of additional financial support from medical research funders
- avoidance of duplication and greater opportunity to coalesce as a community around key questions
- greater likelihood to access national datasets via the BHF Data Science Centre / HDR-UK process
- higher national and international visibility via BHF and NIHR official communication channels.