COVID-19 has exposed stark global inequities, fragilities and unsustainable practices that have intensified the impact of the pandemic and hit the poorest hardest. To address the complex health, humanitarian and socioeconomic consequences while boosting speedy recovery efforts, in June 2020, the United Nations commissioned the development of a Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery, enlisting Dr. Steven J. Hoffman, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health to lead the process.
On November 17, the UN published the new UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery, which was the result of a collaboration involving 38 research funding organizations and 270 experts around the world. The Roadmap provides a framework for leveraging the power of science in support of a better socio-economic recovery and a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future. It identifies research priorities and scientific strategies to support a recovery that benefits everyone everywhere, as well as actions that researchers, research funding agencies, governments, civil society organizations and UN entities can take to act upon it.
Additional Canadian support for this effort came from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Global Affairs Canada, Grand Challenges Canada, Health Canada, Canada's International Development Research Centre, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Quotes
"We live in an interdependent world where shared risk means shared responsibility. We all have a role to play in recovering from COVID-19. In Canada, we are lucky to have excellent researchers. As the UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery explains, science represents our best chance for emerging from this crisis and building a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future. It was a real honour to lead this process.
Dr. Steven J. Hoffman
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health
"I want to congratulate Steven for leading this global collaborative effort. The Roadmap is a remarkable achievement. It reinforces the importance of science in bringing an end to the pandemic and supporting recovery efforts. I want to thank all the research organization that contributed to this process - particularly our federal partners and other organizations in Canada."
Dr. Michael Strong
President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
