Pandemic preparedness

Our very own Dr Ken Brackstone, Social Research Fellow and Data Analyst, and Dr Michael Head, Senior Global Research Fellow, were recently awarded funding from Public Policy|Southampton (PPS) to build a knowledge translation network between policymakers and researchers involved in pandemic planning and preparedness at UoS and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Given the urgency of the pandemic response, global application and translation of new knowledge has never been more relevant. Throughout the course of the pandemic, it was clear that there existed a huge breadth of high-quality multi-disciplinary research covering a range of policy-relevant activities related to COVID-19 and future pandemic preparedness. Many of these projects had been working in silos and were unknown to the wider research community.

Working alongside project intern, Sophie Ross, they have now recorded 170 high-quality multi-disciplinary research studies related to COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness currently being undertaken by Southampton researchers at the University, which they have been mapped into themes and keywords for rapid identification.

The next phase of the project will involve reaching out to policy- and decision-makers involved in COVID-19 and pandemic planning/preparedness, including Ministries, health services, districts and local authorities, secretariats, groups in the Commonwealth, the WHO, and UN agencies. Using survey methods, they aim to tailor and “match up” decision-makers and University researchers by interest and priority research areas.

This dialogue will enable leading groups and UoS experts to discuss research findings, priority areas, and knowledge gaps in policy planning, which will deliver timely impact on important issues relating to pandemic preparedness going forward.

Click here for more information and regular project updates.