GLOHRA 2020 Annual Report
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GLOHRA 2020 Annual report “With its support Foreword of the German Alliance for Global Health Research, A message from the Speaker Trio the BMBF wants to address scientists in the field of global health across all disciplines. he German Alliance for It is in this broad context of new in establishing the structural and One aim of this measure is there fore Global Health Research ways of organiz ing and funding procedural aspects of GLOHRA. T (GLOHRA) was initiated research that GLOHRA can By facilitating elections of the to strengthen and, where necessary, to forge new links and mecha contribute. Steering Committee and devising build up the entire German research Prof. Dr. Veronika von Messling, nisms of cooperation – across our operational guidelines, we Federal Ministry for Education and research disciplines, institutions, As a part of GLOHRA’s leader were able to get straight to work. scene in this field. Precisely so that Research (BMBF), speaking at the sectors and countries. The ship, we are committed to paving Ties between members have still GLOHRA launch event holistic approaches can be better importance of this mission has the way for research that keeps been possible with regular virtual conceived of and implemented gained additional traction as the bigger picture in sight. Our meetings, the member Research GLOHRA was established in deliberate focus on bringing in Directory and introductions in the in the future.” February 2020, just as the SARS perspectives from many disci newsletter. “In Germany, CoV2 virus started spreading plines distinguishes GLOHRA around the world. from other initiatives. The process A big thanks to the wonderful excellent scientists often takes more time and energy team at the Secretariat for are conducting research on We see GLOHRA as part of – we use different languages helping to drive GLOHRA’s very different aspects of global the evolving global health and methods – but the result momentum. strategy of Germany, with a is continually becoming more health issues. In order to solve the broad-reaching commitment comprehensive and better. In less than a year, GLOHRA problems of the future, we need to to global health equity and has sent a clear message that build bridges between the disciplines. scientific rigor. Specialized research will always researchers across Germany – have a place in global health, from different cities, institutions In addition to medical expertise, it is also The mere exchange of information yet we seek to build bridges to and research disciplines – are important to understand why people via scientific publications and connect specialists. In this era of committed to joining forces to make certain health decisions, such as the conferences, focused collabora globalization we are seeing how tackle global health challenges. tions and multicenter studies closely health outcomes and their We are proud to be a part of this use of vaccinations, or how the various is clearly not enough to find determinants are interconnected. community and look forward Prof. Dr. Christian Drosten actors in the health system cooperate. joint solutions to pressing global Viruses and diseases do not to the many research, capacity Director of the Institute of health issues, whether concerned respect borders. As researchers, building and implementation Virology of Charité, Founding Only in this way can we master Member of GLOHRA with infectious diseases, non we should reflect this reality in our activities in the making. the complex challenges in communicable diseases, mental approaches in the lab, in the field global health.” health, health system strength and in the implementation of our ening, climate change or other findings. critical determinants of health. At a time where inperson contact has not been possible, the strong sense of community at GLOHRA Foreword 3 and fully operational governance At a Glance 4 is no small feat. Our team at the Background 6 Secretariat has been foundational About GLOHRA 8 2020 Milestones 10 People 12 Network 14 Steering Committee 2020–2022 16 Research Projects 18 Prof. Dr. Walter Bruchhausen Dr. Meral Esen Prof. Dr. Eva Rehfuess Events 22 Behind the Scenes at the Secretariat 25 Looking Ahead 26 2 Content GLOHRA German Alliance for Global Health Research Foreword 3 At a Glance Steering Committee About Us • 19 elected experts • speaker trio • The German Alliance for • GLOHRA was launched • Our community embraces • Together we are • interdisciplinary representation Global Health Research in February 2020 with represen ta tives from all committed to tackling • gender balanced (GLOHRA) is an funding and support research areas relevant today’s global health association of researchers from the German Federal for global health i.e., challenges via inter disci from public research Ministry of Research and biomedical sciences, plinary and collabora tive institutions in Germany Education (BMBF) social sciences and global health research humanities, public health, and engineering and German Alliance for other sciences Global Health Research globalhealth.de Secretariat hosted by Charité Our Goals Universitätsmedizin Berlin GLOHRA aims to strengthen global health research in Germany by Members • ca. 600 researchers • all disciplines funding • > 100 German public connecting supporting research institutions groundbreaking enhancing a community the next research projects crosssector of qualified generation of and scientific collaboration researchers researchers events 11 Achievements from our First 11 Months The German Alliance for Global Health Research consists of three organizing bodies: The General Assembly is The Steering Committee is The Secretariat supports the 1. Established a fullyoperational organization with 6. Published a joint statement in support of the WHO made up of the members and the key decisionmaking body operations and coordination ratified Statutes that bind us to our goals and associate members that have of GLOHRA. The 19 Steering of GLOHRA. The team is based commitment to interdisciplinary global health research 7. Developed a mechanism for evaluating inter been accepted following our Committee members include at Charité Universitätsmedizin disciplinary research projects, launched a call for application process. female and male representatives Berlin. 2. Attracted membership of around 600 researchers proposals and evaluated 14 applications in the first from four research areas i.e., from over 100 public research institutions across evaluation round biomedical sciences, social Germany sciences and humanities, public 8. Awarded over 650,000 € in project funding to health, and engineering and 3. Members elected an interdisciplinary, gender four interdisciplinary teams comprising more than other sciences. Elections are balanced 19member Steering Committee, with a 12 researchers from 9 research institutions across held every two years. notable 72% voter turnout Germany 4. Created a visual identity and established our website 9. Reached 35,350 impressions on Twitter from 89 globalhealth.de, which hosts Germany’s first Global tweets and 224 followers GLOHRA is supported by the BMBF with over three Health Research Directory of ca. 600 researcher million euros in funding from 2020 to 2025. Additional profiles 10. Sent over 1,500 newsletter deliveries to our funds are reserved for selected research projects of community’s inboxes GLOHRA members and their partners 5. Hosted two exceptional sessions with over 300 attendees at the World Health Summit 2020 11. Initiated the development of an information repository to benefit early career researchers 4 At a Glance GLOHRA German Alliance for Global Health Research At a Glance 5 Background Scientific Collaboration to Face Global “The 2030 Health Challenges Supporting Germany’s Mission Agenda requires a “Because holistic and crosssec toral Addressing the complex challenges we face today – we know that to Improve Global Health approach to imple mentation. neglected tropical diseases and antibiotic resistance, but doing things based on Inter disciplinary cooperation also mental illness and diabetes together with achieving a biomedical model alone – GLOHRA is part of a growing global health eco and research are needed to universal health coverage and the human right to health we’ve seen from history – that system in Germany. Over the past decade, global create a robust foundation – requires research approaches that defy traditional often doesn’t work. So I think health strategy and action has steadily gained that will allow us to identify boundaries. GLOHRA seeks to foster the point about needing the momentum in Germany as it becomes increasingly priorities and avoid exchange and forge new mechanisms social science, the behavioral clear that the global community must do more to negative interactions.” of cooperation across institutions, science aspects, including ensure health for all. disciplines, sectors and countries. economists, is key. And we’ve recognized that GLOHRA is one piece of this larger mission, with Global health is determined by – even before the an explicit focus on strengthening and expanding inseparable biological, cultural, pandemic.” global health research. By uniting the research political, economic, environmental, community in Germany under a common cause of and behavioral determinants of a healthier world, GLOHRA holds great potential to health. develop evidence and tools to tackle today’s global Global Health Strategy of the German Federal health challenges. Government,