Global Research Improving Pandemic Preparedness (GRIPP)

An initiative open to organisations worldwide to form consortia involving at least one organisation from a LMIC to accelerate clinical trial readiness in LMICs for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. 

The Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Diseases Preparedness (GloPID-R) is an international initiative launched in Brussels, Belgium in 2013 on the recommendation of the Heads of International Organisations (HIROs). The objective of the organisation, which is funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, is to anticipate and prepare for future threats from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

GloPID-R operates a programme titled Global Research Improving Pandemic Preparedness (GRIPP). The GRIPP programme has launched its first call for proposals, titled ‘Outbreak ready: Accelerating clinical trial site readiness in LMICs’, with the objective of strengthening the clinical research ecosystem to improve clinical trial practices in support of preparedness for outbreaks of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases. The call aims to operationalise the agreements set out in the World Health Assembly Resolution 75.8 (PDF link) to improve the quality and coordination of clinical trials. Aligned with the GloPID-R Funders Living Road Mapfor Clinical Trial Coordination (PDF link), the call seeks to strengthen clinical trial capacity in LMICs during inter-epidemic periods by accelerating innovation, ethics and collaboration. Projects will support existing investments in clinical trial research made by GloPID-R members in LMICs. Specifically, projects should deliver results contributing to the following GAP-CTS Actions:

• Action 4: Enable effective trials through adoption of innovative designs and digital technologies.
• Action 6: Improve coordination and streamlining of regulatory and ethics review.
• Action 9: Expand international health research and clinical trial collaboration.

The call is funded by the following organisations:

• France: ANRS MIE
• United Kingdom: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
• United States: Gates Foundation
• South Korea: National Research Foundation (NRF)/Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB)
• South Africa: South Africa Medical Research Council (SAMRC)