Pandemic Preparedness

Overview 

The Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness programme is supporting the UK and global engineering community to learn from the current COVID-19 pandemic through global sharing of lessons on disruptive solutions and best practice approaches in the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery from pandemics.

Global review of the engineering response to COVID-19

In 2021 we commissioned a review to build understanding of the broad and varied role played by engineers and engineering during the pandemic, highlight case studies of successes and failures, and develop key lessons and recommendations to improve future pandemic preparedness and response and help ensure engineers play their key role in contributing to future public health emergencies.

Read more about the global review 

Grant scheme: Phase 1

The Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness grant scheme has funded innovative engineering which tackles the new challenges created by COVID-19, building connections between engineers across the world responding to the pandemic.

An initial call for proposals awarded 23 grants to engineers in Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru and the UK.

Our aim is to actively work with awardees to build the strong evidence base and global community needed to engineer resilience to future pandemics.

Projects were loosely grouped around four themes: infection control; medical innovation, new normal and collaboration

A follow-up scheme awarded 10 grants to existing awardees to further enhance their impact in two key areas: inclusive design in pandemic response, and infection resilient environments.

Projects 

Find out more about some of the projects funded by the Pandemic Preparedness grant scheme.