Web Analytics

fundsforNGOs

Grants and Resources for Sustainability

You are here: Home / Latest Funds for NGOs and Calls for Proposals and Calls for Applications / HRZZ Call for Proposals on Infectious Diseases Caused by Corona Viruses and the Social and Educational Aspects of the Pandemic (IP-CORONA-2020-04) – Croatia

HRZZ Call for Proposals on Infectious Diseases Caused by Corona Viruses and the Social and Educational Aspects of the Pandemic (IP-CORONA-2020-04) – Croatia

Deadline: 20 April 2020

In these exceptionally demanding circumstances caused by COVID-19, the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ), as part of its mission, will support research groups that are able to solve the greatest research challenges in order to save human lives and protect health and well-being of the population of the Republic of Croatia.

This thematic Call will fund fundamental and applied research that creates new and improves existing knowledge on infectious diseases caused by corona viruses as well as research that explores social aspects of the pandemic and the effect of the pandemic on the education system.

Funded Projects should be carried out by strong research groups at Croatian research institutions. Principal Investigators should be scientists acknowledged on a national and/or international level. Collaboration of national and/or international research groups, pooling of equipment and other research capacities is encouraged to achieve scientific discoveries about the coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 virus, the new infectious disease COVID-19 and their wider social impact.

Research topics are aligned with the recommendations of the World Health Organization for researching COVID-19, and the existing research of Croatian scientists in virology, viral immunology and infectology, crisis management, mental health and well-being as well as distance teaching and learning.

Call objective is better understanding of biology and pathogenesis of the coronaviruses, more specifically the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 infectious disease, crisis management during and after the pandemics as well as the organization and implementation of distance learning.

Funding Information

  • The amount of funding per project ranges from HRK 600,000.00 to HRK 1,500,000.00 for research topics 1 and 2, and from HRK 400,000.00 to HRK 750,000.00 for research topics 3 and 4, for 18 months of implementation.
  • HRZZ will disburse the funds to the bank account of the research institution at which the Principal Investigator is employed and which submits the project proposal.

Basic funding criteria

Scientific quality of the project proposal and the research team and the potential for making a significant contribution to the research problem in the research topic within the limited time period of 18 months.

Type of eligible expenses:

  • Research costs,
  • Equipment costs and equipment maintenance costs,
  • Dissemination and collaboration costs (up to HRK 150,000.00).
  • Indirect costs – eligible in the maximum amount of 5% of the total amount of required funds.

Research Topics

  1. Immune response and development of novel diagnostic approaches to COVID-19
    1. Existing diagnostic methods for COVID-19 are still not sufficiently developed and more sensitive, specific, precise, simpler, cheaper and faster methods are urgently needed.
    2. In order to understand viral mutations and their significance for immune control as well as the tendency to accumulate mutations, including specific variations for this micro-region, sequencing of the viral genome needs to be performed.
    3. Research of the immune response, pathogenesis as well as clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
  2. Development of new vaccines, treatments as well as drugs and agents for the COVID-19 inhibition
    1. Developing novel antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 and designing drugs for COVID-19 therapy.
    2. Investigating protective capacity of different immuno-therapeutic antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 in experimental animal models.
    3. Developing experimental vaccines and vaccine vectors for COVID-19 and studying their protective effect.
  3. Social aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic
    1. Psychosocial consequences of emergency measures in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, resilience and risk factors for mental health and well-being of the general and vulnerable population.
    2. Crisis communication related to the COVID-19 pandemic for alleviating fear, stereotyping and uncertainty, strengthening responsible individual and group behaviour and trust in public authorities.
  4. Educational aspects of the pandemic
    1. Effects of changing paradigms of leaning and evaluating processes, successful models for achieving distance-learning outcomes in primary, secondary and higher education. Technological prerequisites and development of human resources for successful organisation and implementation of remote teaching.
    2. Use of big data, learning analytics and especially data from virtual environments for advancing teaching and as the grounds for informed, strategic decision-making in education.

Principal Investigator

  • Scientists responsible for implementing the Project and managing the research group.
  • A scientist employed at a public university, public research institute in the Republic of Croatia and at other legal research entities as well as full members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Evaluation Process

International peer review (2 reviews per project proposal) and final ranking that will be conducted by a panel of Croatian scientists.

For more information, visit https://www.hrzz.hr/default.aspx?id=2416