Call for Research Proposals: Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management in COVID-19

Deadline: 27-Sep-20

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to enter into a contractual agreement with a successful bidder and select a suitable contractor to conduct research that addresses the key research priorities on Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM) in the context of COVID-19.

The WHO Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) Framework provides guidance to countries and partners on developing capacities to reduce the risks and impacts of all types of emergencies and disasters including epidemics and pandemics.

The principles, components, and functions described by the Health EDRM paradigm provide a frame for conducting research and learning lessons from sharing of country and community experience of the COVID-19 pandemic which will inform all-hazards prevention, preparedness, response and recovery across countries and communities.

Research Areas

• Research that increases the likelihood of implementing an all-hazards health emergency and disaster risk management approach, including prevention, preparedness and readiness, for the risks related to emergencies that may occur during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Research that strengthens governance mechanisms and enables a whole-of-society approach to managing the risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies.
• Research to strengthen community resilience before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Studying interventions to address mental health problems in the Kansai region, Japan.

Place of Performance

• The project should be carried out and managed from within the home institution of the PI in collaboration with international or local partners.

Duration

• WHO invites applicants to suggest appropriate timelines. This project, however, should not exceed 24 months in length from beginning to completion.

Key Requirements

• The PI should demonstrate considerable experience in conducting research in health emergency and disaster risk management, public health, and/or health policy. It is recommended that the PI has an institutional base that is established research or academic unit. The PI and team members will need to demonstrate the necessary experience, capacity, and resources to execute and manage the research protocol and its implementation.
• The PI should demonstrate a track record of conducting programmatic and operational research in the field of health emergency and disaster risk management, risk communication, mental health, public health, health systems or health policy with proven expertise in applying research methods to public health problems, including program evaluation, epidemiological methods, health systems research, and combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. It would be desirable for applicants to demonstrate broad international academic partnerships, with a wide geographic spread to conduct this work.

For more information, visit https://extranet.who.int/kobe_centre/en/calls-tors