ALZHEIMER EUROPE
Alzheimer Europe calls for urgent action to address COVID-19 impact on research Following engagement with its national members, research funders and industry partners, Alzheimer Europe issued a position statement on 28 July 2020, highlighting the pressure on dementia research as a result of COVID-19 and setting out a number of recommendations on how they should be addressed. Background
aimed at both research funders (including governments and supranational bodies) and As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, dis- research institutions, grouped under three ruption has been caused to all aspects of overarching themes. life across the world, as measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus (social distanc- The need for greater support and flexibiling, lockdown, closing of places of work etc.) ity for existing dementia research projects have interrupted normal ways of working. As Alzheimer Europe engaged with its member- Addressing the issues faced by existing ship, research funders and industry partners dementia research projects affected by the throughout the course of its work, it became pandemic, the position statement calls for: apparent the extent to which this was also true for researchers working in laboratory and clini- y Research funders to show the maximum cal settings. A multitude of overlapping issues possible flexibility for funding recipients, (furloughing or redeployment of staff, closure to ensure resources can be allocated as of services etc.) have resulted in research and required to allow for the completion of projects being put on hold. projects y Research funders to work with recipients Our position paper noted that in addition to ensure that existing data, findings and to these physical distancing restrictions, outputs from projects are collated changes to funding and resources have also y Research organisations to offer flexibilplaced pressure on the dementia research ity and accommodation to researchers community. Specifically, concerns around the (especially early-career researchers), takfunding of delayed research projects, the caning steps to provide opportunities and cellation of future research calls and a shift in further development to ensure their confocus towards COVID-19 in research calls have tinued career progression added new challenges to the field. y The EU and national governments, through economic responses to COVID-19 As a result, researchers have been impeded in (e.g. the EU Recovery Instrument), to suptheir ability to develop innovations to detect, port research institutions and researchers diagnose, prevent and treat the underlying to ensure they do not lose out financially. diseases which cause dementia. Furthermore, the cumulative impact of these challenges The impact on dementia research funding will have a significant impact upon research- streams as a result of COVID-19 ers, particularly those at an early stage of their career. In addition, the position statement noted that many funding streams for demenTo address these issues, the position state- tia research have been halted or redirected, ment sets out a number of recommendations therefore it calls for: 8  Dementia in Europe
y National research funders to resume, as early as is practicable, calls for dementia research y The EU and national governments, through economic responses to COVID-19 (e.g. the EU Recovery Instrument), to ensure that research funding is not significantly diminished as a result of the pandemic. The need to prioritise dementia in post-pandemic future research Looking towards a post-COVID-19 landscape, the position paper highlights long-standing disparities in funding for dementia research, noting that this has been exacerbated by the pandemic, calling for: y National research funders and governments to provide increased funding and resources for dementia research, in line with other conditions (e.g. other non-communicable diseases) and reflecting the aims of the 2013 G8 CommuniquÊ y National research funders, institutions and researchers should look explore the possibilities of adopting new ways of working, such as online and virtual platforms, where suitable, to allow research to continue even where physical distancing restrictions may continue, including the ethics of these new approaches y The EU to include a dedicated strand of work dedicated to dementia research within the Horizon Europe research programme (2021–2027) y National research funders should adopt an approach focused on prevention, care and cure, spanning the whole range of dementia research from basic to care research y Governments and research funders to give specific attention to the psycho-social aspects of dementia when assessing and considering the vulnerability of persons with dementia and their carers, including in relation to the impact of COVID-19.
