Project description
The politics of antibiotics innovation: visions for a viable, safe and sustainable future
The ERC-funded ALTERBIOTIC project explores the pressing global health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from the perspective of the politics of innovation. The project examines how a new biomedical research field is emerging to address the ‘broken system’ of antibiotic R&D. It focuses on the actors and stakeholders seeking to develop a radically altered antimicrobial innovation ecosystem by establishing alternative frameworks for biomedical research, development, commercialisation and deployment of new therapies. ALTERBIOTIC investigates the visions, challenges and barriers facing this emerging field in its efforts to create a viable innovation ecosystem that supports a safe, equitable and sustainable approach to tackling AMR.
Objective
Modern antibiotics greatly contributed to fighting infectious diseases. However, today we face a resurgence of deadly drug-resistant microbes due the excessive use of antibiotics – a phenomenon known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is not only a pressing public health problem, but a unique and fundamental crisis that profoundly challenges existing regimes of pharmaceutical innovation that have for long provided societies with powerful, easily available antibiotics. However, long-term solutions to AMR not only require new potent drugs, but also alternative scientific, economic and regulatory approaches in the development, distribution and deployment of antibiotic therapies – captured here by the term ‘alter-biotic innovation’.
Yet, much-needed social science research on this complex innovation challenge is glaringly absent. ALTERBIOTIC will break new ground by developing the unique research perspective of ‘alter-biotic innovation’ to conceptualize and investigate how alternative approaches are being envisioned, negotiated and developed to overcome the limitations of existing antibiotic regimes. It will focus on the major antimicrobial partnership initiatives launched in response to AMR. In addition to product development, these initiatives drive a broader normative and political agenda: to radically rethink and alter regimes governing the development, valuation, regulation and use of antimicrobials in more sustainable and equitable ways.
ALTERBIOTIC conducts a multi-sited analysis of alter-biotic innovation, based on qualitative-interpretive methodologies and ethnographic sensibility. It employs an ambitious case study design integrating ethnographic vignettes with in-depth case studies through a combination of document analysis, interviews and participant observation.
This research not only provides a fresh perspective to the social studies of AMR, but also novel approaches to study ‘innovation societies’ amid the multiple sustainability crises they confront.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs antibiotics
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1010 Wien
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.