This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination 3 “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden”. The partnership will be firmly anchored within the framework of the European Health Union package[1] that aims to improve the EU’s capacity in the vital areas of prevention, preparedness, surveillance, risk assessment, early warning, and response. In this regard, synergies and close collaboration with the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and other relevant European Commission services need to be ensured.

The partnership’s activities are expected to be key enablers of the EU Global Health Strategy[2], notably its guiding principle 5 to boost global health research and guiding principle 7 to strengthen capacities for prevention, preparedness and response, particularly to expand and strengthen European and global research partnerships including clinical trial networks that can be pivoted to address new and emerging pathogens.

Proposals under this topic should aim for delivering results that are directed, tailored towards, and contributing to all of the following expected outcomes:

The EU offers a valued network of clinical trial sites that have the capacity to implement well-coordinated large-scale multi-country quality trials in different target populations, which are able to smoothly transition to public health interventions relevant for cross-border health threats in response to a public health emergency;

Relevant EU and national entities, the scientific communities and networks, policymakers and funders enhance their collaboration and coordination for strengthened research on pandemic preparedness and response, forming a strong and structured ecosystem with shared evidence, tools and methodologies cutting across sectors;

Research funders, policymakers, relevant EU and national entities, and the research community recognise and close rapidly relevant research and related infrastructure gaps and break existing silos on pandemic preparedness research and response;

Healthcare authorities, regulatory authorities, policymakers and other stakeholders use the research results to develop evidence-based strategies and policies for pandemic preparedness and response, and deploy good practices to European countries and regions, and beyond whenever relevant;

The research community at large benefits from and uses an improved comprehensive knowledge framework integrating the EU, national/regional data and information infrastructures to improve transnational research in the area of pandemic preparedness and response;

The EU is strengthened as an internationally recognised actor for pandemic preparedness research and response, as such substantially contributing to global cooperation and coordination.