Final Report Summary - EU-LAC HEALTH (Defining a Roadmap for Cooperative Health research between the EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a Policy Oriented Approach)
Executive Summary:
EU-LAC Health (Defining a Roadmap for Cooperative Health research between the EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a Policy Oriented Approach) is a project with the aim of develop a common roadmap that enhance and coordinate the bi-regional collaboration between the European Union (EU) member states and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries in the area of health research.
As a result of an extensive dialogue process with policy-makers, experts and R&D funding bodies on how to better coordinate health research activities between the two regions through existing or innovative funding schemes, a new cooperative framework has been developed in the form of a Roadmap. This roadmap includes a prioritized Scientific Research Agenda defining the scientific objectives that allow addressing global main societal challenges, and the added value derived through this bi-regional cooperation.
EU-LAC Health was born as a five-year project, financed by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and was extended for 9 more months in order to adequately carry out the piltot bi-regional action: a relevant EU-CELAC Joint Call for projects.
EU-LAC Health had as main goals to:
- Discuss and explore, with policy-makers and other stakeholders, how to best coordinate health research policies and funding between EU and LAC.
- Establish a consensus Roadmap for cooperative health research with the final objective of setting up a future framework for collaboration between the EU and LAC regions in this field.
- Disseminate the project results to the main project stakeholders as a means to increase and improve EU-LAC cooperation in health research
And as expected outcome: A Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation that has been operational since March 2016.
Project Context and Objectives:
EU-LAC Health (Defining a Roadmap for Cooperative Health research between the EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a Policy Oriented Approach) is a project promoted by the European Commission and co-funded by the EU 7th Framework Programme. It started on 1st October 2011 and run for 5 years plus an extension of 9 months. Its main goal was defining a detailed roadmap to guide policy-makers and other stakeholders on future actions to support cooperative health research between European (EU) and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries.
This consensus roadmap has been continuously developed using a policy oriented approach, taking into account the political framework for EU-LAC collaboration in Science and Technology, especially the EU-CELAC (European Union - Community of Latin-American and Caribbean States) Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation. This initiative is a very significant step, taken at the highest political level, to develop synergies between scientific cooperation, higher education and development cooperation by increasing the coordination between the EU Cooperation and Research policies with LAC. Specifically the EU-LAC Health Project has supported the Working Group on Health, launched by the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation at the Senior Official Meeting held in April 2013 in Brussels.
The roadmap has the aim of providing policy-makers and Research and Development (R&D) funding bodies with new insights on how to best coordinate and fund cooperative health research between the two regions. An important effort has been devoted in the course of the project to link and coordinate policy areas with strong involvement in health research funding. The roadmap also contains a proposal for a strategy and structure for a sustainable cooperation on health research between both regions.
The objectives of EU-LAC Health:
a) Discuss and explore, with policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders, how to best coordinate health research policies and funding between EU and LAC.
b) Define a consensus roadmap for cooperative health research with the final objective of setting up a future sustainable framework for collaboration between the EU and LAC regions in this field.
c) Promote the creation of a coordinating body to develop the Roadmap.
d) Disseminate the project results to the main project stakeholders as a means to increase and improve support for EU-LAC cooperation in health research.
The EU-LAC bi-regional collaboration in the field of health research stands as a very broad and complex issue that involves many stakeholders from different political and socio-economic contexts, including the EU as a whole, each Member State and other European countries as well as the variety of LAC countries and supranational organizations, and touches different political agendas such as research, but sometimes also development cooperation and external relations.
EU-LAC Health project has been coordinated by the National Institute of Health Carlos III, from Spain, and the consortium carrying out this action was composed by 9 more partners from Europe (DLR from Germany, INNOVATEC from Spain, COHRED from Switzerland, APRE from Italy, INSERM from France) and Latin American countries (RIMAIS represented by Ministry of Health from Costa Rica, Ministry of Science and Technology from Argentina, FIOCRUZ from Brazil, and INNCMNSZ from Mexico). The selected institutions form a multidisciplinary team with participants from Health Research policy-making Institutions, R&D Funding Agencies, Research Centres, and a specialized R&D consulting company. The project has also benefited from a direct participation of main stakeholders from policy making and funding institutions involved in EU-LAC health research, as members of the advisory board, as well as outstanding scientists form the 2 regions, EU and LAC.
Furthermore, the initial EU-LAC Health network of 9 countries has also been increased through the participation of additional countries of EU-LAC countries in the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health) and the EU-LAC Health Joint Transnational Call.
EU-LAC Health runs in four main stages:
Stage 1: Analysis of state of play
Stage 2: Scenario building and Gap analysis
Stage 3: Defining the roadmap
Stage 4: Implementing the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation
Project Results:
STRATEGIC ROADMAP ON HEALTH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
As one of the main outputs of the project a Strategic Roadmap on Health Research and Innovation has been defined, http://eulachealth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Roadmap-document.pdf , including a scientific research agenda of a high added-value based on a consensus methodology between bi-regional scientific working groups.
Strategic Roadmap principal contents are:
• Vision/ Mission
• Objectives and Principles
• Scientific Research Agenda
• Governance Structure
All sections have been developed in consensus with representatives of different stakeholder groups and countries from both regions, EU and LAC, by different means: e-mail, teleconferences, web conferences, and face-to-face meetings.
The physical meetings as primary working instruments for the production of the main results and their key outputs are:
1. State of Play Workshop, March 2012: Rio de Janeiro
• Presentation of the State of Play of EU-LAC collaboration on health research
2. 1st Scenario Building Workshop, October 2012: Buenos Aires
• SWOT analysis of three potential scenarios
• Survey to countries on Health Research Areas of interest
3. 2nd Scenario Building Workshop, April 2013: Rome
• Discussion on possible governance structures and potential funding schemes
• Presentation of Scientific Working Groups: 1st Draft of scientific documents on the health research areas
4. 1st Roadmapping Workshop, October 2013: Mexico City
• Discussion of the advanced draft of scientific documents
• Development of priority topics for a joint call: ERANet-LAC
5. 2nd Roadmapping Workshop, February 2014: Madrid
• Presentation and discussion of the first draft of Strategic Roadmap for the JIRI-Health (EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation)
6. Roadmap Consultation and Validation Workshop, October 2014: Madrid
• Presentation of Consultation Results
• Incorporating inputs from consultation and lessons learnt from Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs)
• Defining further steps towards the implementation of the JIRI-Health
7. EU-LAC Health Conference, June 2015: Brussels
• Presentation of the EU-LAC Health Roadmap.
• Actions to promote and consolidate cooperative health research in the EU-LAC region.
• Approval of the Proposal to establish a Coordination Body of Health Research
8. Launch of the JIRI-Health Workshop, March 2016: Brussels
• Discussion of vision and mission of the coordinating body, the objectives to achieve before the end of EU-LAC Health, and the basic elements of the governance structure.
• Future of JIRI-Health - Sustainability
9. JIRI-Health Mid-term meeting, November 2016: San Jose
• Approval of a general vision paper defining the objectives of the coordinating body, its basic structure and its implementation plan.
• Approval of models for Terms of Reference (ToR) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first action: EU-LAC Health Joint Call
10. EU-LAC Health Final Conference, June 2017: Madrid
• Discussion and approval of bi-regional projects to fund in the EU-LAC Health Joint Call
• Presentation of EU-LAC Health project results, and discussion on future of JIRI-Health
An additional face-to-face meeting (EU-LAC Health Joint Call Funding Agencies Meeting) was held on Panama City, Panama on 9th September 2016, back-to-back to an ERANet-LAC meeting, in order to prepare the EU-LAC Health Joint Call
The Scientific Research Agenda and the Roadmap have been developed through various steps:
a) Country online survey for scientific areas of common interest (June-Sept 2012)
Answered by 22 countries from LAC and EU and 3 international organizations.
The results of this survey were the basis for the scientific research agenda (SRA) as main part of the roadmap:
1. Identification of priority areas in health research by a survey to ministries/funding agencies based on health categories of the UKCRC Health Research Classification System (22 countries and 3 regional organisations responded). The categories were adjusted according to “global burden of disease” measured as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in both EU and LAC region.
2. The selected health categories were mapped with research activities in a matrix for assessment by added-value of EU-LAC cooperation resulting in 6 main areas. According to it, 6 EU-LAC Health Scientific Working Groups (More than 30 scientists from 17 EU-CELAC countries were recruited) were assembled for the development of SRA. This agenda was developed and discussed in different workshops.
3. The selected research areas and specific topics within them were afterwards validated and adopted as scientific agenda via the scientific experts and EU-CELAC SOM representatives at the IV EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting on Science and Technology held in Costa Rica in 2014
b) Roadmap remote country consultation (July-Sept 2014)
First draft of the roadmap was sent for consultation and survey was answered by 30 countries from LAC and EU.
Additional countries that have not formally joined the initiative but participated in this consultation are Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, The Netherlands.
c) Roadmap Consultation and validation Workshop (October 2014, Madrid)
An advanced draft of the roadmap was presented, analyzed and discussed among different stakeholders
d) EU-LAC Health Conference (June 2015, Brussels)
The Official Presentation of the Strategic Roadmap took place in the EU-LAC Health Conference the 2nd June 2015 in Brussels. It consisted of a morning session open to the public– where interested stakeholders and participants could join and learn about the project as well as a restricted session – only for policy-makers to discuss confidentially but openly on next steps.
The larger conference was a clear highlight in the project. It contributed to the project aim of informing a wider audience (including policy-makers, relevant initiatives, projects and other stakeholders from the EU and CELAC region and the generally interested public) of the work having been performed. The roadmap with its scientific part as well as governance proposition were presented, discussed and widely accepted by relevant stakeholders and the EC.
Further, an Expression of Interest (EoI) was presented to policy-makers in the restricted session and the following countries / unions signaled interest: Spain, Portugal, France, Israel, Finland, Romania, Costa Rica, Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
JOINT INITIATIVE ON HEALTH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION: JIRI-HEALTH
JIRI-Health constitution has been promoted by EU-LAC Health project to become a bi-regional joint programming in health R&I. It is based on the use of already existing instruments at different levels to fund projects and activities according to aligned topics jointly agreed between the EU and CELAC countries, upon flexible and variable geometry. The purpose of the JIRI-Health is to avoid unnecessary redundancies and to favour added-value results.
Its creation and activities have been based on the Strategic Roadmap and its activities guided by its objectives and principles.
Apart from the countries constituting EU-LAC Health consortium: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Switzerland, other countries/communities that have participated in the JIRI-Health activities are Belgium, Bolivia, CARICOM (Caribbean Community), Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Guatemala, Israel, Latvia, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania (as observer) , Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
The launch of JIRI-Health took place the 15 March 2016 in Brussels. Activities carried out by the initiative include:
- Technical Support to the EU-CELAC SOM Working Group on Health and collaboration on the elaboration of the reports.
- Synergies with related thematic Joint Programing Initiatives (JPND, JPI HDHL, JPI AMR...) global initiatives (IRDiRC, GloPID-R, ...) and EU infrastructures (EATRIS-ERIC, ECRIN-ERIC, ...) have been established
- JIRI-Health Country mapping activity: including mapping on health research funding agencies, National Biomedical & Health Research Programmes, health research dedicated funds, areas of interest for EU-LAC collaboration, Infrastructures for health research and innovation, and preferred EU-LAC collaboration schemes.
Specific collaboration regarding the interest of CELAC countries in neurodegenerative diseases has been developed with the EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) and in healthy diet with the Joint Programming Initiative - A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI HDHL)
- Capacity Building activities:
o Horizon 2020 Training Workshop, San Jose, Costa Rica, November 2016: with special focus on the opportunities for CELAC researchers
o EU-LAC Health Workshop: an overview on the next Health opportunities in Horizon 2020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2017: with particular attention to preparation of CELAC researchers for future calls for proposals during the 2018-2020 period.
- EU-CELAC Joint Call for bi-regional projects
EU-CELAC JOINT CALLS FOR PROJECTS IN HEALTH RESEARCH
EU-LAC Health project has collaborated with ERANet-LAC and ALCUE Net projects in preparation of the topics for the 1st and 2nd ERANet-LAC calls in the area of health, and further worked for the EU-LAC Health Joint Call, acting as Secretariat of this latest call.
Main features of the three Joint Calls with participation of EU-LAC Health are described below:
ERANet-LAC 1st call (open on 2014)
• 13 agencies, upfront funding commitment = 3.82 M €
• 3 three-year projects funded=1.46 M €
Topics:
1. Evaluation of low-threshold interventions to tackle obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders in EU and LAC countries
2. Research in prevention of infectious diseases and promotion of well-being
ERANet-LAC 2nd call (open on 2015)
• 19 funding agencies, upfront funding commitment = 3.74 M €
• 8 three-year projects funded = 4 M€
Topics:
1. Improving the quality of care and quality of life of dying cancer patients
2. Research in prevention of infectious diseases and promotion of well-being
3. Improving well-being and inclusiveness through e-health, m-health, and AAL solutions
EU-LAC Health Joint Call (open on 2016)
EU-LAC Health project has promoted this call, acting as secretariat of the call, which comprises adapting and designing call text and governance documents, dissemination of the call, adapting and managing the online submission tools, coordinating the activities of the funding agencies, organizing the evaluation of the proposals and final decision of the funders.
• 21 funding agencies, upfront funding commitment = 6.68 M €,
• 13 three-year projects funded = 6 M€
Topics:
1. Healthy aging to combat neurodegeneration
2. Research in promotion of well-being: prevention of infectious diseases, emerging food-, water- and vector-borne diseases
OTHER OUTPUTS OF THE PROJECT
Apart from the main outputs abovementioned, the project has already rendered some additional products:
✓ New Scientific collaborative three-year projects (24) LAC and EU (by means of ERANet-LAC and EU-LAC Health Joint Calls)
✓ Scientific networks created between EU and LAC in 6 health priority areas (through EU-LAC Health Scientific working groups)
✓ Analysis of the health research systems of EU and LAC:
1. State of Play document (Deliverable 1.1)
2. JIRI-Health Mapping
✓ Two scientific publications in collaboration between EU and LAC being the authors partners of the project (Deliverable 1.2):
1. National research for health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: moving towards the right direction? Becerra-Posada et al. Health Research Policy and Systems 2014, 12:13. http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/12/1/13
2. The development of relationships in science, technology, research and innovation in health between the EU and LAC countries: a promising future. RECIIS – Rev. Eletron. de Comun. Inf. Inov. Saúde. 2014 Mar; 8(1) — 32-42. [www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br] e-ISSN 1981-6278
✓ Knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices between the two regions, and within both regions
✓ Stable connection among health research and funding institutions that have shown interest in collaborate (with potential use for emerging global health risks)
ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT IN COORDINATION WITH EXISTING INITIATIVES
EU-LAC Health has been working in close collaboration with ALCUE NET, ERANet-LAC, Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs), ERIC Infrastructures, and EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting (SOM).
• ALCUE NET
The “Thematic report to EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting: Health” which was presented at the EU-CELAC SOM meeting held in Costa Rica in April 2014 was prepared by EU-LAC Health.
That thematic report contained 18 concrete topics (3 for each of the 6 EU-LAC Health priority areas) which were endorsed by the SOM at that meeting and validated for its use in bi-regional instrument ERANet-LAC.
A “thematic report to EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting: Health” was also prepared for the meetings on 2016 and 2017 in collaboration with ALCUE Net and the JIRI Working group on Health.
• ERANet-LAC
ERANet-LAC proposed to the funding agencies forum for its 1st and 2nd joint calls the topics that were elaborated by EU-LAC Health (development based in the areas previously defined by the Scientific Research Agenda contained in the EU-LAC Health Roadmap) and approved by the EU-CELAC SOM at Costa Rica in April 2014.
• ESFRI land mark INFRASTRUCTURES
From its beginning, EU-LAC Health has counted on joining forces with research infrastructures and has been in contact with the more relevant ones for CELAC countries according with its thematic field.
ECRIN-ERIC (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) Director General and EATRIS-ERIC (European infrastructure for transnational medicine) Scientific Director attended the EU-LAC Health 2nd Roadmapping Workshop, held in Madrid on 26-27 February 2014 and presented them. The Director of ELIXIR attend the Final EU-LAC Health Conference held also in Madrid the 15 June 2017 and presented it.
Interactions with EU-LAC Health partners and JIRI-Health partners have happened as a consequence of in these meetings. As an example of important results of the relation between EU-LAC Health and ERIC Infrastructures, Fiocruz (partner of the project) now participates in the CRIGH (Clinical Research Initiative for Global Health).
• JOINT PROGRAMING INITIATIVES
Relation with other health-research initiatives, such as the JPIs, is of great importance for EU-LAC Health.
The chair of the Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the chair of Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance, and the vice-chair of the Joint Programming Initiative A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life where invited to present the objectives, activities and structure of these initiatives during EU-LAC Health Roadmap Consultation and Validation Workshop in Madrid, on 22-23 October 2014. At this workshop, it was discussed the possibility of different countries to join (or to participate as observers) some of these initiatives.
As result of the interaction among EU-LAC Health and JPIs initiatives, Argentina participates on the JPI AMR (Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance).
As further exchange with these JPIs, a specific survey for the thematic area has been sent to CELAC countries by EU-LAC Health in order to explore the interest and capacities of these countries and promote the collaboration with the initiatives JPND and JPI HDHL.
• EU-CELAC SOM
EU-LAC Health has participated at different meetings and presented the project:
1. EU-CELAC SOM for funding agencies, November 2012, Brussels, Belgium
2. EU-CELAC SOM held in April 2013 at Brussels, Belgium, where the coordinator proposed the creation of a working group on health. This working group was created and EU-LAC Health was designated as technical supporting group
3. EU-CELAC SOM of April 2014 at San José, Costa Rica, where the leader of the JIRI Working Group on Health presented the Thematic Report on Health, elaborated by EU-LAC Health in collaboration with the JIRI Working Group, and that contained the proposed topics for the different calls of the ERANet-LAC.
At that meeting, the coordinator of EU-LAC Health presented the project progress, and the topics proposed by the thematic groups (included EU-LAC Health in the field of health research and innovation) were endorsed.
4. The EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health) was launched in the framework of the EU-CELAC SOM in Brussels on March 2016.
5. The coordinator of EU-LAC Health presented the progress of the JIRI-Health and the EU-LAC Health Joint Call at the last EU-CELAC SOM in Brussels on March 2017.
Additionally, leaders of the JIRI Working Group on Health have participated at different EU-LAC Health meetings such as Mexico October 2013, Madrid February 2014, Madrid October 2014 and Madrid June 2017.
• RELATION WITH OTHER INITIATIVES
o As the model to be used by the JIRI-Health is based on the IRDiRC (International Rare Disease Research Consortium) one, its chair participated at the EU-LAC Health Conference, on 2 June 2015 at Brussels.
o The Global Health Centre of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health of USA presented the possibilities of cooperation with EU-CELAC JIRI-Health at a related EU-LAC Health Conference consortium meeting.
o The Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina has become a member of the GloPID-R (Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) and the GACD (Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases)
o IC-PERMED (International Consortium for Personalised Medicine) was presented at the EU-LAC Health Final Conference of Madrid on 15 June 2017, showing the areas defined by the action plan and inviting CELAC countries to explore the interest to participate.
Potential Impact:
POTENTIAL IMPACT
The more relevant outputs of the project can be summarized in the following two, which are indeed interconnected:
1. The Strategic Roadmap for the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation, http://eulachealth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Roadmap-document.pdf
2. The EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health) itself
The JIRI-Health is a joint initiative between European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean countries which is being implemented with the objective of developing the bi-regional joint programming-like initiative in health research and innovation and use of mainly and first funding instruments already existing at national and other different levels to fund projects and activities according to aligned topics jointly agreed between the EU and LAC countries, upon flexible and variable geometry.
Its main goal is to improve and strengthen the coordination and collaboration between the two regions in the field of health Research & Innovation. This main goal clearly contributes to the following strategies:
i) the EU-CELAC Knowledge Area, a Common Research Area based on increased mobility of researchers, exchange of best practices and enhanced cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (EU-CELAC Summit 2015. Brussels Declaration. https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/eu-celac_brussels_declaration_2015.pdf )
ii) the EU R&I international cooperation policy, aimed to strengthen the EU excellence and attractiveness in research and innovation, to tackle global societal challenges and to support the EU external policies (European Commission communication: "Enhancing and focusing EU international cooperation in research and innovation: a strategic approach, 2012", https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/com_2012_497_communication_from_commission_to_inst_en.pdf )
On the other hand, EU-LAC Health project has supported the Working Group on Health of the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation (JIRI) since its creation in April 2013 and which last meeting took place on March 2017 at the VI EU-CELAC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Research and Innovation in Brussels http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm?pg=latin-americ-carib. At the meeting, it was highlighted the political importance the cooperation between the two regions is now acquiring, and the important role that Research and Innovation is playing as a driver for economic growth and sustainable development. Three important pillars were underlined to advance in this collaboration: Mobility of Researchers, Research Infrastructures and Societal Challenges.
Taking into account these considerations, together with the main objectives already stated in the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research & Innovation Roadmap, the following impacts have either been accomplished during the life of the project or potentially achieved in the near future:
▪ Stable and structured EU-CELAC Health Research and Innovation policy dialogue
JIRI-Health promotes and facilitates high-level policy dialogue between both regions to enhance and coordinates scientific collaboration between Europe and CELAC in the field of health, promoting the alignment of research agendas and the launching of joint calls, such as the ERANet-LAC or EU-LAC Health Joint Transnational Calls.
JIRI-Health has demonstrated to be a functional network of EU-CELAC Health R&I Organization and Funders.
▪ Promotion of participation of CELAC region in Horizon 2020 and future Framework Programmes and related initiatives
EU-LAC Health has facilitated the participation of CELAC organizations in Horizon 2020 actions by encouraging the inclusion of more CELAC-oriented topics in the Health- and research infrastructure-related work programmes of Horizon 2020 and future Framework Programmes (i.e. research on non-communicable diseases topics, infectious diseases topics, research infrastructures, etc.), new ERA-Nets, potential participation of CELAC countries in EU Joint Programming Health-related Initiatives (i.e. A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life, Antimicrobial Resistance- The Microbial Challenge - An Emerging Threat to Human Health), in the International Consortium on Personalized Medicine (IC PerMed) and other Global Alliances, the ERICs, etc.
Some examples already accomplished during the life of the projects are:
− The participation of Argentina in the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance
− The participation of Brazil in the Clinical Research Initiative for Global Health through the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) - European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC)
− Argentina´s and Brazil´s participation in Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GLOPID-R)
− The two Horizon 2020 Training Workshop carried out in the last period of the project: one in Costa Rica (16 November 2016) and other in Brazil (19 June 2017)
▪ Scientific Research Agenda
An important item of the Roadmap is the Scientific Research Agenda (SRA), which has been elaborated by the network of EU-CELAC expert scientists engaged in the EU-LAC Health project. It includes the identifying priority areas as well as common needs and opportunities for cooperative health R&I between EU and CELAC regions.
Furthermore, specific topics per research area were identified and endorsed by the high level representatives participating in the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation IV Senior Official Meeting.
These topics have been used both for the two ERANet-LAC calls and the EU-LAC Health Call.
An update of the Scientific Research Agenda is envisioned to be carried out by means of the operative network of EU-CELAC expert scientists who has participated in the first Scientific Research Agenda as well as the network of EU-CELAC Health R&I Funders established in the course of the project.
▪ EU-CELAC collaboration in Personalized Medicine
An action to facilitate the participation of CELAC Countries in the International Consortium on Personalized Medicine (IC PerMed) is foreseen. This action should focus on building links between EU and CELAC countries by fostering the potential and advantages of collaboration in IC PerMed between both regions. In particular the uptake of PerMed approaches in health systems and healthcare, taking into account health economy issues and equitable healthcare, is expected to be studied in depth.
▪ EU-CELAC collaboration in health-related Research Infrastructures
The EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation has recently endorsed the launch of the Working Group for policy coordination on Research Infrastructures (RI) as a first step towards establishing a more structured bi-regional cooperation on this area, supporting policy making in the RI dimension and facilitating multilateral initiatives.
Mapping of research infrastructures in the area of health, coordination and sharing of good practices in management of RIs, etc., are topics expected to be part of this bi-regional collaboration on RI.
▪ Attraction of new talent and expertise and capacity building
Promotion of the mobility of researchers between both regions, taking advantage on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, the CYTED programme and other initiatives.
▪ Science diplomacy through R&I
The excellent relations demonstrated during EU-LAC Health project between countries of both regions and the continued contact through in-progress projects from EU-LAC Health Joint Call may help improve the political dialogue of EU and associated countries with CELAC.
▪ Economic impact through R&I-derived business opportunities
Financial benefits may derived from the exploitation of results of the projects funded under the EU-CELAC Joint Transnational Calls: ERANet-LAC and EU-LAC Health
Other benefits can be obtained from the abovementioned projects by the establishment of start-ups and its potential creation of employment.
MAIN DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES
The dissemination activities carried out along EU-LAC Health project are numerous and varied and include:
• Website: project description, partners information, documents, results, news in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
• Flyers: Spanish and English version with basic information of the project
• Press Releases: workshops and relevant project were summarised, published and disseminated among relevant contacts
• Newsletters: 4 newsletters have been elaborated along the project
• Publications: 2 scientific articles
• Public project technical documents: public documents are published in the website.
• Factsheet document: containing information about project and its main outputs: JIRI-Health and its Strategic Roadmap
• Presentations at meetings and conferences: events at the EC by invitation, at training sessions, project meetings or conferences
• Final Conference flyer: project brochure with information about the EU-LAC Health Final Conference that was used to disseminate the event and project results.
• EU-LAC Health Workshops and Conferences: The main dissemination activities of EU-LAC Health project coincide with the Workshops/ Conferences organized along the life of the project:
➢ State of Play Workshop, Rio de Janeiro, March 2012
The document EU-LAC Health State-of-Play containing a picture of EU-LAC collaboration on health research till the current moment was presented, discussed and improved.
➢ 1st Scenario Building Workshop, Buenos Aires, October 2012
This workshop has two main outputs:
1. A SWOT analysis of three potential scenarios proposed was performed
2. Results of a specific survey to countries on Health Research Areas of interest was presented
➢ 2nt Scenario Building Workshop, Rome, April 2013
During this meeting, potential governance structures and funding schemes for EU-LAC collaboration were discussed, and the Scientific Working Groups collaborating with EU-LAC Health, presented the 1st Draft of scientific documents on the health research areas
➢ 1st Roadmapping Workshop, Mexico City, October 2013
Two pieces of news influenced the result of this workshop:
• Creation of JIRI (Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation) Working Group on Health and EU-LAC Health nomination to support it.
• The opportunity to develop priority topics for specific actions, such as the joint call of ERANet-LAC
Additionally, an advanced draft of scientific document was presented and discussed. This document will represent EU-LAC Health Scientific part of the EU-LAC Health Strategic Roadmap
➢ 2nd Roadmapping Workshop, Madrid, February 2014
The first draft of the Strategic Roadmap for the JIRI-Health (EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation) was presented and widely discussed with the presence of high-level representatives of EU and LAC scientific communities. It contains the scientific research agenda and a proposal for Governance structure
➢ Roadmap Consultation and Validation Workshop, Madrid, October 2014
The Strategic Roadmap was subject to a remote Consultation process to the EU-CELAC countries, whose results were presented and discussed during the meeting.
Inputs from consultation and lessons learnt from Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) and discussions were analysed and incorporated to the roadmap. Further steps towards the JIRI-Health implementation were defined.
➢ EU-LAC Health Conference, Brussels, June 2015
EU-LAC Health Strategic roadmap was presented, and the proposed actions to promote and consolidate cooperative health research in the EU-LAC region discussed.
➢ Launch of JIRI-Health, Brussels, March 2016
Joint Initiative for Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health), as a body for EU-CELAC coordination was launched. Vision and mission of the body, the objectives to achieve before the end of the project, and the basic elements of the governance structure were discussed, as well as potential means to sustain the future of JIRI-Health.
➢ JIRI-Health mid-term meeting, San Jose, November 2016
Models for Terms of Reference (ToR) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were approved.
The requirements and conditions for the EU-CELAC Joint Call for projects as the first action of the JIRI-Health were set, based on the discussions previously arranged at the Panama meeting held back-to-back to ERANet LAC funding agencies meeting (September 2016).
➢ EU-LAC Health Final Conference, Madrid, June 2017
The EU-LAC Health Final Conference was the main and final dissemination event of the project. The main results and achievements were presented and discussed with research and policy stakeholders from EU and CELAC.
Back to back to the Final conference, EU-LAC Health Joint Call-related meetings were held with evaluation panel and with participating funding agencies in order to take final decision on the bi-regional projects funded.
EXPLOITATION RESULTS
Exploitation of EU-LAC Health results is being carried out through JIRI-Health activities.
Three joint calls for bi-regional projects have been launched within the timeframe of the project: two of them coordinated by ERANet-LAC and with collaboration of EU-LAC Health and the third one coordinated by EU-LAC Health.
The three calls have produced successful results with increasing indicators along the years:
• interest of different agencies
• budget compromised by the funding agencies
• number of proposals
• number of projects funded
Bi-regional projects promoted by EU-LAC Health and ERANet-LAC are expected to render exploitable results for EU and CELAC regions.
List of Websites:
www.eulachealth.eu
For more information, please, contact Rafael de Andrés (coordinator of EU-LAC Health project) at rdandres@isciii.es
EU-LAC Health (Defining a Roadmap for Cooperative Health research between the EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a Policy Oriented Approach) is a project with the aim of develop a common roadmap that enhance and coordinate the bi-regional collaboration between the European Union (EU) member states and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries in the area of health research.
As a result of an extensive dialogue process with policy-makers, experts and R&D funding bodies on how to better coordinate health research activities between the two regions through existing or innovative funding schemes, a new cooperative framework has been developed in the form of a Roadmap. This roadmap includes a prioritized Scientific Research Agenda defining the scientific objectives that allow addressing global main societal challenges, and the added value derived through this bi-regional cooperation.
EU-LAC Health was born as a five-year project, financed by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and was extended for 9 more months in order to adequately carry out the piltot bi-regional action: a relevant EU-CELAC Joint Call for projects.
EU-LAC Health had as main goals to:
- Discuss and explore, with policy-makers and other stakeholders, how to best coordinate health research policies and funding between EU and LAC.
- Establish a consensus Roadmap for cooperative health research with the final objective of setting up a future framework for collaboration between the EU and LAC regions in this field.
- Disseminate the project results to the main project stakeholders as a means to increase and improve EU-LAC cooperation in health research
And as expected outcome: A Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation that has been operational since March 2016.
Project Context and Objectives:
EU-LAC Health (Defining a Roadmap for Cooperative Health research between the EU and Latin America-Caribbean countries: a Policy Oriented Approach) is a project promoted by the European Commission and co-funded by the EU 7th Framework Programme. It started on 1st October 2011 and run for 5 years plus an extension of 9 months. Its main goal was defining a detailed roadmap to guide policy-makers and other stakeholders on future actions to support cooperative health research between European (EU) and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries.
This consensus roadmap has been continuously developed using a policy oriented approach, taking into account the political framework for EU-LAC collaboration in Science and Technology, especially the EU-CELAC (European Union - Community of Latin-American and Caribbean States) Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation. This initiative is a very significant step, taken at the highest political level, to develop synergies between scientific cooperation, higher education and development cooperation by increasing the coordination between the EU Cooperation and Research policies with LAC. Specifically the EU-LAC Health Project has supported the Working Group on Health, launched by the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation at the Senior Official Meeting held in April 2013 in Brussels.
The roadmap has the aim of providing policy-makers and Research and Development (R&D) funding bodies with new insights on how to best coordinate and fund cooperative health research between the two regions. An important effort has been devoted in the course of the project to link and coordinate policy areas with strong involvement in health research funding. The roadmap also contains a proposal for a strategy and structure for a sustainable cooperation on health research between both regions.
The objectives of EU-LAC Health:
a) Discuss and explore, with policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders, how to best coordinate health research policies and funding between EU and LAC.
b) Define a consensus roadmap for cooperative health research with the final objective of setting up a future sustainable framework for collaboration between the EU and LAC regions in this field.
c) Promote the creation of a coordinating body to develop the Roadmap.
d) Disseminate the project results to the main project stakeholders as a means to increase and improve support for EU-LAC cooperation in health research.
The EU-LAC bi-regional collaboration in the field of health research stands as a very broad and complex issue that involves many stakeholders from different political and socio-economic contexts, including the EU as a whole, each Member State and other European countries as well as the variety of LAC countries and supranational organizations, and touches different political agendas such as research, but sometimes also development cooperation and external relations.
EU-LAC Health project has been coordinated by the National Institute of Health Carlos III, from Spain, and the consortium carrying out this action was composed by 9 more partners from Europe (DLR from Germany, INNOVATEC from Spain, COHRED from Switzerland, APRE from Italy, INSERM from France) and Latin American countries (RIMAIS represented by Ministry of Health from Costa Rica, Ministry of Science and Technology from Argentina, FIOCRUZ from Brazil, and INNCMNSZ from Mexico). The selected institutions form a multidisciplinary team with participants from Health Research policy-making Institutions, R&D Funding Agencies, Research Centres, and a specialized R&D consulting company. The project has also benefited from a direct participation of main stakeholders from policy making and funding institutions involved in EU-LAC health research, as members of the advisory board, as well as outstanding scientists form the 2 regions, EU and LAC.
Furthermore, the initial EU-LAC Health network of 9 countries has also been increased through the participation of additional countries of EU-LAC countries in the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health) and the EU-LAC Health Joint Transnational Call.
EU-LAC Health runs in four main stages:
Stage 1: Analysis of state of play
Stage 2: Scenario building and Gap analysis
Stage 3: Defining the roadmap
Stage 4: Implementing the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation
Project Results:
STRATEGIC ROADMAP ON HEALTH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
As one of the main outputs of the project a Strategic Roadmap on Health Research and Innovation has been defined, http://eulachealth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Roadmap-document.pdf , including a scientific research agenda of a high added-value based on a consensus methodology between bi-regional scientific working groups.
Strategic Roadmap principal contents are:
• Vision/ Mission
• Objectives and Principles
• Scientific Research Agenda
• Governance Structure
All sections have been developed in consensus with representatives of different stakeholder groups and countries from both regions, EU and LAC, by different means: e-mail, teleconferences, web conferences, and face-to-face meetings.
The physical meetings as primary working instruments for the production of the main results and their key outputs are:
1. State of Play Workshop, March 2012: Rio de Janeiro
• Presentation of the State of Play of EU-LAC collaboration on health research
2. 1st Scenario Building Workshop, October 2012: Buenos Aires
• SWOT analysis of three potential scenarios
• Survey to countries on Health Research Areas of interest
3. 2nd Scenario Building Workshop, April 2013: Rome
• Discussion on possible governance structures and potential funding schemes
• Presentation of Scientific Working Groups: 1st Draft of scientific documents on the health research areas
4. 1st Roadmapping Workshop, October 2013: Mexico City
• Discussion of the advanced draft of scientific documents
• Development of priority topics for a joint call: ERANet-LAC
5. 2nd Roadmapping Workshop, February 2014: Madrid
• Presentation and discussion of the first draft of Strategic Roadmap for the JIRI-Health (EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation)
6. Roadmap Consultation and Validation Workshop, October 2014: Madrid
• Presentation of Consultation Results
• Incorporating inputs from consultation and lessons learnt from Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs)
• Defining further steps towards the implementation of the JIRI-Health
7. EU-LAC Health Conference, June 2015: Brussels
• Presentation of the EU-LAC Health Roadmap.
• Actions to promote and consolidate cooperative health research in the EU-LAC region.
• Approval of the Proposal to establish a Coordination Body of Health Research
8. Launch of the JIRI-Health Workshop, March 2016: Brussels
• Discussion of vision and mission of the coordinating body, the objectives to achieve before the end of EU-LAC Health, and the basic elements of the governance structure.
• Future of JIRI-Health - Sustainability
9. JIRI-Health Mid-term meeting, November 2016: San Jose
• Approval of a general vision paper defining the objectives of the coordinating body, its basic structure and its implementation plan.
• Approval of models for Terms of Reference (ToR) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first action: EU-LAC Health Joint Call
10. EU-LAC Health Final Conference, June 2017: Madrid
• Discussion and approval of bi-regional projects to fund in the EU-LAC Health Joint Call
• Presentation of EU-LAC Health project results, and discussion on future of JIRI-Health
An additional face-to-face meeting (EU-LAC Health Joint Call Funding Agencies Meeting) was held on Panama City, Panama on 9th September 2016, back-to-back to an ERANet-LAC meeting, in order to prepare the EU-LAC Health Joint Call
The Scientific Research Agenda and the Roadmap have been developed through various steps:
a) Country online survey for scientific areas of common interest (June-Sept 2012)
Answered by 22 countries from LAC and EU and 3 international organizations.
The results of this survey were the basis for the scientific research agenda (SRA) as main part of the roadmap:
1. Identification of priority areas in health research by a survey to ministries/funding agencies based on health categories of the UKCRC Health Research Classification System (22 countries and 3 regional organisations responded). The categories were adjusted according to “global burden of disease” measured as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in both EU and LAC region.
2. The selected health categories were mapped with research activities in a matrix for assessment by added-value of EU-LAC cooperation resulting in 6 main areas. According to it, 6 EU-LAC Health Scientific Working Groups (More than 30 scientists from 17 EU-CELAC countries were recruited) were assembled for the development of SRA. This agenda was developed and discussed in different workshops.
3. The selected research areas and specific topics within them were afterwards validated and adopted as scientific agenda via the scientific experts and EU-CELAC SOM representatives at the IV EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting on Science and Technology held in Costa Rica in 2014
b) Roadmap remote country consultation (July-Sept 2014)
First draft of the roadmap was sent for consultation and survey was answered by 30 countries from LAC and EU.
Additional countries that have not formally joined the initiative but participated in this consultation are Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, The Netherlands.
c) Roadmap Consultation and validation Workshop (October 2014, Madrid)
An advanced draft of the roadmap was presented, analyzed and discussed among different stakeholders
d) EU-LAC Health Conference (June 2015, Brussels)
The Official Presentation of the Strategic Roadmap took place in the EU-LAC Health Conference the 2nd June 2015 in Brussels. It consisted of a morning session open to the public– where interested stakeholders and participants could join and learn about the project as well as a restricted session – only for policy-makers to discuss confidentially but openly on next steps.
The larger conference was a clear highlight in the project. It contributed to the project aim of informing a wider audience (including policy-makers, relevant initiatives, projects and other stakeholders from the EU and CELAC region and the generally interested public) of the work having been performed. The roadmap with its scientific part as well as governance proposition were presented, discussed and widely accepted by relevant stakeholders and the EC.
Further, an Expression of Interest (EoI) was presented to policy-makers in the restricted session and the following countries / unions signaled interest: Spain, Portugal, France, Israel, Finland, Romania, Costa Rica, Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
JOINT INITIATIVE ON HEALTH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION: JIRI-HEALTH
JIRI-Health constitution has been promoted by EU-LAC Health project to become a bi-regional joint programming in health R&I. It is based on the use of already existing instruments at different levels to fund projects and activities according to aligned topics jointly agreed between the EU and CELAC countries, upon flexible and variable geometry. The purpose of the JIRI-Health is to avoid unnecessary redundancies and to favour added-value results.
Its creation and activities have been based on the Strategic Roadmap and its activities guided by its objectives and principles.
Apart from the countries constituting EU-LAC Health consortium: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Switzerland, other countries/communities that have participated in the JIRI-Health activities are Belgium, Bolivia, CARICOM (Caribbean Community), Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Guatemala, Israel, Latvia, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania (as observer) , Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
The launch of JIRI-Health took place the 15 March 2016 in Brussels. Activities carried out by the initiative include:
- Technical Support to the EU-CELAC SOM Working Group on Health and collaboration on the elaboration of the reports.
- Synergies with related thematic Joint Programing Initiatives (JPND, JPI HDHL, JPI AMR...) global initiatives (IRDiRC, GloPID-R, ...) and EU infrastructures (EATRIS-ERIC, ECRIN-ERIC, ...) have been established
- JIRI-Health Country mapping activity: including mapping on health research funding agencies, National Biomedical & Health Research Programmes, health research dedicated funds, areas of interest for EU-LAC collaboration, Infrastructures for health research and innovation, and preferred EU-LAC collaboration schemes.
Specific collaboration regarding the interest of CELAC countries in neurodegenerative diseases has been developed with the EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) and in healthy diet with the Joint Programming Initiative - A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI HDHL)
- Capacity Building activities:
o Horizon 2020 Training Workshop, San Jose, Costa Rica, November 2016: with special focus on the opportunities for CELAC researchers
o EU-LAC Health Workshop: an overview on the next Health opportunities in Horizon 2020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2017: with particular attention to preparation of CELAC researchers for future calls for proposals during the 2018-2020 period.
- EU-CELAC Joint Call for bi-regional projects
EU-CELAC JOINT CALLS FOR PROJECTS IN HEALTH RESEARCH
EU-LAC Health project has collaborated with ERANet-LAC and ALCUE Net projects in preparation of the topics for the 1st and 2nd ERANet-LAC calls in the area of health, and further worked for the EU-LAC Health Joint Call, acting as Secretariat of this latest call.
Main features of the three Joint Calls with participation of EU-LAC Health are described below:
ERANet-LAC 1st call (open on 2014)
• 13 agencies, upfront funding commitment = 3.82 M €
• 3 three-year projects funded=1.46 M €
Topics:
1. Evaluation of low-threshold interventions to tackle obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders in EU and LAC countries
2. Research in prevention of infectious diseases and promotion of well-being
ERANet-LAC 2nd call (open on 2015)
• 19 funding agencies, upfront funding commitment = 3.74 M €
• 8 three-year projects funded = 4 M€
Topics:
1. Improving the quality of care and quality of life of dying cancer patients
2. Research in prevention of infectious diseases and promotion of well-being
3. Improving well-being and inclusiveness through e-health, m-health, and AAL solutions
EU-LAC Health Joint Call (open on 2016)
EU-LAC Health project has promoted this call, acting as secretariat of the call, which comprises adapting and designing call text and governance documents, dissemination of the call, adapting and managing the online submission tools, coordinating the activities of the funding agencies, organizing the evaluation of the proposals and final decision of the funders.
• 21 funding agencies, upfront funding commitment = 6.68 M €,
• 13 three-year projects funded = 6 M€
Topics:
1. Healthy aging to combat neurodegeneration
2. Research in promotion of well-being: prevention of infectious diseases, emerging food-, water- and vector-borne diseases
OTHER OUTPUTS OF THE PROJECT
Apart from the main outputs abovementioned, the project has already rendered some additional products:
✓ New Scientific collaborative three-year projects (24) LAC and EU (by means of ERANet-LAC and EU-LAC Health Joint Calls)
✓ Scientific networks created between EU and LAC in 6 health priority areas (through EU-LAC Health Scientific working groups)
✓ Analysis of the health research systems of EU and LAC:
1. State of Play document (Deliverable 1.1)
2. JIRI-Health Mapping
✓ Two scientific publications in collaboration between EU and LAC being the authors partners of the project (Deliverable 1.2):
1. National research for health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: moving towards the right direction? Becerra-Posada et al. Health Research Policy and Systems 2014, 12:13. http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/12/1/13
2. The development of relationships in science, technology, research and innovation in health between the EU and LAC countries: a promising future. RECIIS – Rev. Eletron. de Comun. Inf. Inov. Saúde. 2014 Mar; 8(1) — 32-42. [www.reciis.icict.fiocruz.br] e-ISSN 1981-6278
✓ Knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices between the two regions, and within both regions
✓ Stable connection among health research and funding institutions that have shown interest in collaborate (with potential use for emerging global health risks)
ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT IN COORDINATION WITH EXISTING INITIATIVES
EU-LAC Health has been working in close collaboration with ALCUE NET, ERANet-LAC, Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs), ERIC Infrastructures, and EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting (SOM).
• ALCUE NET
The “Thematic report to EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting: Health” which was presented at the EU-CELAC SOM meeting held in Costa Rica in April 2014 was prepared by EU-LAC Health.
That thematic report contained 18 concrete topics (3 for each of the 6 EU-LAC Health priority areas) which were endorsed by the SOM at that meeting and validated for its use in bi-regional instrument ERANet-LAC.
A “thematic report to EU-CELAC Senior Official Meeting: Health” was also prepared for the meetings on 2016 and 2017 in collaboration with ALCUE Net and the JIRI Working group on Health.
• ERANet-LAC
ERANet-LAC proposed to the funding agencies forum for its 1st and 2nd joint calls the topics that were elaborated by EU-LAC Health (development based in the areas previously defined by the Scientific Research Agenda contained in the EU-LAC Health Roadmap) and approved by the EU-CELAC SOM at Costa Rica in April 2014.
• ESFRI land mark INFRASTRUCTURES
From its beginning, EU-LAC Health has counted on joining forces with research infrastructures and has been in contact with the more relevant ones for CELAC countries according with its thematic field.
ECRIN-ERIC (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) Director General and EATRIS-ERIC (European infrastructure for transnational medicine) Scientific Director attended the EU-LAC Health 2nd Roadmapping Workshop, held in Madrid on 26-27 February 2014 and presented them. The Director of ELIXIR attend the Final EU-LAC Health Conference held also in Madrid the 15 June 2017 and presented it.
Interactions with EU-LAC Health partners and JIRI-Health partners have happened as a consequence of in these meetings. As an example of important results of the relation between EU-LAC Health and ERIC Infrastructures, Fiocruz (partner of the project) now participates in the CRIGH (Clinical Research Initiative for Global Health).
• JOINT PROGRAMING INITIATIVES
Relation with other health-research initiatives, such as the JPIs, is of great importance for EU-LAC Health.
The chair of the Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the chair of Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance, and the vice-chair of the Joint Programming Initiative A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life where invited to present the objectives, activities and structure of these initiatives during EU-LAC Health Roadmap Consultation and Validation Workshop in Madrid, on 22-23 October 2014. At this workshop, it was discussed the possibility of different countries to join (or to participate as observers) some of these initiatives.
As result of the interaction among EU-LAC Health and JPIs initiatives, Argentina participates on the JPI AMR (Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance).
As further exchange with these JPIs, a specific survey for the thematic area has been sent to CELAC countries by EU-LAC Health in order to explore the interest and capacities of these countries and promote the collaboration with the initiatives JPND and JPI HDHL.
• EU-CELAC SOM
EU-LAC Health has participated at different meetings and presented the project:
1. EU-CELAC SOM for funding agencies, November 2012, Brussels, Belgium
2. EU-CELAC SOM held in April 2013 at Brussels, Belgium, where the coordinator proposed the creation of a working group on health. This working group was created and EU-LAC Health was designated as technical supporting group
3. EU-CELAC SOM of April 2014 at San José, Costa Rica, where the leader of the JIRI Working Group on Health presented the Thematic Report on Health, elaborated by EU-LAC Health in collaboration with the JIRI Working Group, and that contained the proposed topics for the different calls of the ERANet-LAC.
At that meeting, the coordinator of EU-LAC Health presented the project progress, and the topics proposed by the thematic groups (included EU-LAC Health in the field of health research and innovation) were endorsed.
4. The EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health) was launched in the framework of the EU-CELAC SOM in Brussels on March 2016.
5. The coordinator of EU-LAC Health presented the progress of the JIRI-Health and the EU-LAC Health Joint Call at the last EU-CELAC SOM in Brussels on March 2017.
Additionally, leaders of the JIRI Working Group on Health have participated at different EU-LAC Health meetings such as Mexico October 2013, Madrid February 2014, Madrid October 2014 and Madrid June 2017.
• RELATION WITH OTHER INITIATIVES
o As the model to be used by the JIRI-Health is based on the IRDiRC (International Rare Disease Research Consortium) one, its chair participated at the EU-LAC Health Conference, on 2 June 2015 at Brussels.
o The Global Health Centre of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health of USA presented the possibilities of cooperation with EU-CELAC JIRI-Health at a related EU-LAC Health Conference consortium meeting.
o The Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation of Argentina has become a member of the GloPID-R (Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) and the GACD (Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases)
o IC-PERMED (International Consortium for Personalised Medicine) was presented at the EU-LAC Health Final Conference of Madrid on 15 June 2017, showing the areas defined by the action plan and inviting CELAC countries to explore the interest to participate.
Potential Impact:
POTENTIAL IMPACT
The more relevant outputs of the project can be summarized in the following two, which are indeed interconnected:
1. The Strategic Roadmap for the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation, http://eulachealth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Roadmap-document.pdf
2. The EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health) itself
The JIRI-Health is a joint initiative between European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean countries which is being implemented with the objective of developing the bi-regional joint programming-like initiative in health research and innovation and use of mainly and first funding instruments already existing at national and other different levels to fund projects and activities according to aligned topics jointly agreed between the EU and LAC countries, upon flexible and variable geometry.
Its main goal is to improve and strengthen the coordination and collaboration between the two regions in the field of health Research & Innovation. This main goal clearly contributes to the following strategies:
i) the EU-CELAC Knowledge Area, a Common Research Area based on increased mobility of researchers, exchange of best practices and enhanced cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (EU-CELAC Summit 2015. Brussels Declaration. https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/eu-celac_brussels_declaration_2015.pdf )
ii) the EU R&I international cooperation policy, aimed to strengthen the EU excellence and attractiveness in research and innovation, to tackle global societal challenges and to support the EU external policies (European Commission communication: "Enhancing and focusing EU international cooperation in research and innovation: a strategic approach, 2012", https://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/policy/com_2012_497_communication_from_commission_to_inst_en.pdf )
On the other hand, EU-LAC Health project has supported the Working Group on Health of the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation (JIRI) since its creation in April 2013 and which last meeting took place on March 2017 at the VI EU-CELAC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Research and Innovation in Brussels http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/index.cfm?pg=latin-americ-carib. At the meeting, it was highlighted the political importance the cooperation between the two regions is now acquiring, and the important role that Research and Innovation is playing as a driver for economic growth and sustainable development. Three important pillars were underlined to advance in this collaboration: Mobility of Researchers, Research Infrastructures and Societal Challenges.
Taking into account these considerations, together with the main objectives already stated in the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research & Innovation Roadmap, the following impacts have either been accomplished during the life of the project or potentially achieved in the near future:
▪ Stable and structured EU-CELAC Health Research and Innovation policy dialogue
JIRI-Health promotes and facilitates high-level policy dialogue between both regions to enhance and coordinates scientific collaboration between Europe and CELAC in the field of health, promoting the alignment of research agendas and the launching of joint calls, such as the ERANet-LAC or EU-LAC Health Joint Transnational Calls.
JIRI-Health has demonstrated to be a functional network of EU-CELAC Health R&I Organization and Funders.
▪ Promotion of participation of CELAC region in Horizon 2020 and future Framework Programmes and related initiatives
EU-LAC Health has facilitated the participation of CELAC organizations in Horizon 2020 actions by encouraging the inclusion of more CELAC-oriented topics in the Health- and research infrastructure-related work programmes of Horizon 2020 and future Framework Programmes (i.e. research on non-communicable diseases topics, infectious diseases topics, research infrastructures, etc.), new ERA-Nets, potential participation of CELAC countries in EU Joint Programming Health-related Initiatives (i.e. A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life, Antimicrobial Resistance- The Microbial Challenge - An Emerging Threat to Human Health), in the International Consortium on Personalized Medicine (IC PerMed) and other Global Alliances, the ERICs, etc.
Some examples already accomplished during the life of the projects are:
− The participation of Argentina in the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance
− The participation of Brazil in the Clinical Research Initiative for Global Health through the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) - European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC)
− Argentina´s and Brazil´s participation in Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GLOPID-R)
− The two Horizon 2020 Training Workshop carried out in the last period of the project: one in Costa Rica (16 November 2016) and other in Brazil (19 June 2017)
▪ Scientific Research Agenda
An important item of the Roadmap is the Scientific Research Agenda (SRA), which has been elaborated by the network of EU-CELAC expert scientists engaged in the EU-LAC Health project. It includes the identifying priority areas as well as common needs and opportunities for cooperative health R&I between EU and CELAC regions.
Furthermore, specific topics per research area were identified and endorsed by the high level representatives participating in the EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation IV Senior Official Meeting.
These topics have been used both for the two ERANet-LAC calls and the EU-LAC Health Call.
An update of the Scientific Research Agenda is envisioned to be carried out by means of the operative network of EU-CELAC expert scientists who has participated in the first Scientific Research Agenda as well as the network of EU-CELAC Health R&I Funders established in the course of the project.
▪ EU-CELAC collaboration in Personalized Medicine
An action to facilitate the participation of CELAC Countries in the International Consortium on Personalized Medicine (IC PerMed) is foreseen. This action should focus on building links between EU and CELAC countries by fostering the potential and advantages of collaboration in IC PerMed between both regions. In particular the uptake of PerMed approaches in health systems and healthcare, taking into account health economy issues and equitable healthcare, is expected to be studied in depth.
▪ EU-CELAC collaboration in health-related Research Infrastructures
The EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation has recently endorsed the launch of the Working Group for policy coordination on Research Infrastructures (RI) as a first step towards establishing a more structured bi-regional cooperation on this area, supporting policy making in the RI dimension and facilitating multilateral initiatives.
Mapping of research infrastructures in the area of health, coordination and sharing of good practices in management of RIs, etc., are topics expected to be part of this bi-regional collaboration on RI.
▪ Attraction of new talent and expertise and capacity building
Promotion of the mobility of researchers between both regions, taking advantage on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, the CYTED programme and other initiatives.
▪ Science diplomacy through R&I
The excellent relations demonstrated during EU-LAC Health project between countries of both regions and the continued contact through in-progress projects from EU-LAC Health Joint Call may help improve the political dialogue of EU and associated countries with CELAC.
▪ Economic impact through R&I-derived business opportunities
Financial benefits may derived from the exploitation of results of the projects funded under the EU-CELAC Joint Transnational Calls: ERANet-LAC and EU-LAC Health
Other benefits can be obtained from the abovementioned projects by the establishment of start-ups and its potential creation of employment.
MAIN DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES
The dissemination activities carried out along EU-LAC Health project are numerous and varied and include:
• Website: project description, partners information, documents, results, news in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
• Flyers: Spanish and English version with basic information of the project
• Press Releases: workshops and relevant project were summarised, published and disseminated among relevant contacts
• Newsletters: 4 newsletters have been elaborated along the project
• Publications: 2 scientific articles
• Public project technical documents: public documents are published in the website.
• Factsheet document: containing information about project and its main outputs: JIRI-Health and its Strategic Roadmap
• Presentations at meetings and conferences: events at the EC by invitation, at training sessions, project meetings or conferences
• Final Conference flyer: project brochure with information about the EU-LAC Health Final Conference that was used to disseminate the event and project results.
• EU-LAC Health Workshops and Conferences: The main dissemination activities of EU-LAC Health project coincide with the Workshops/ Conferences organized along the life of the project:
➢ State of Play Workshop, Rio de Janeiro, March 2012
The document EU-LAC Health State-of-Play containing a picture of EU-LAC collaboration on health research till the current moment was presented, discussed and improved.
➢ 1st Scenario Building Workshop, Buenos Aires, October 2012
This workshop has two main outputs:
1. A SWOT analysis of three potential scenarios proposed was performed
2. Results of a specific survey to countries on Health Research Areas of interest was presented
➢ 2nt Scenario Building Workshop, Rome, April 2013
During this meeting, potential governance structures and funding schemes for EU-LAC collaboration were discussed, and the Scientific Working Groups collaborating with EU-LAC Health, presented the 1st Draft of scientific documents on the health research areas
➢ 1st Roadmapping Workshop, Mexico City, October 2013
Two pieces of news influenced the result of this workshop:
• Creation of JIRI (Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation) Working Group on Health and EU-LAC Health nomination to support it.
• The opportunity to develop priority topics for specific actions, such as the joint call of ERANet-LAC
Additionally, an advanced draft of scientific document was presented and discussed. This document will represent EU-LAC Health Scientific part of the EU-LAC Health Strategic Roadmap
➢ 2nd Roadmapping Workshop, Madrid, February 2014
The first draft of the Strategic Roadmap for the JIRI-Health (EU-CELAC Joint Initiative on Health Research and Innovation) was presented and widely discussed with the presence of high-level representatives of EU and LAC scientific communities. It contains the scientific research agenda and a proposal for Governance structure
➢ Roadmap Consultation and Validation Workshop, Madrid, October 2014
The Strategic Roadmap was subject to a remote Consultation process to the EU-CELAC countries, whose results were presented and discussed during the meeting.
Inputs from consultation and lessons learnt from Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) and discussions were analysed and incorporated to the roadmap. Further steps towards the JIRI-Health implementation were defined.
➢ EU-LAC Health Conference, Brussels, June 2015
EU-LAC Health Strategic roadmap was presented, and the proposed actions to promote and consolidate cooperative health research in the EU-LAC region discussed.
➢ Launch of JIRI-Health, Brussels, March 2016
Joint Initiative for Health Research and Innovation (JIRI-Health), as a body for EU-CELAC coordination was launched. Vision and mission of the body, the objectives to achieve before the end of the project, and the basic elements of the governance structure were discussed, as well as potential means to sustain the future of JIRI-Health.
➢ JIRI-Health mid-term meeting, San Jose, November 2016
Models for Terms of Reference (ToR) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were approved.
The requirements and conditions for the EU-CELAC Joint Call for projects as the first action of the JIRI-Health were set, based on the discussions previously arranged at the Panama meeting held back-to-back to ERANet LAC funding agencies meeting (September 2016).
➢ EU-LAC Health Final Conference, Madrid, June 2017
The EU-LAC Health Final Conference was the main and final dissemination event of the project. The main results and achievements were presented and discussed with research and policy stakeholders from EU and CELAC.
Back to back to the Final conference, EU-LAC Health Joint Call-related meetings were held with evaluation panel and with participating funding agencies in order to take final decision on the bi-regional projects funded.
EXPLOITATION RESULTS
Exploitation of EU-LAC Health results is being carried out through JIRI-Health activities.
Three joint calls for bi-regional projects have been launched within the timeframe of the project: two of them coordinated by ERANet-LAC and with collaboration of EU-LAC Health and the third one coordinated by EU-LAC Health.
The three calls have produced successful results with increasing indicators along the years:
• interest of different agencies
• budget compromised by the funding agencies
• number of proposals
• number of projects funded
Bi-regional projects promoted by EU-LAC Health and ERANet-LAC are expected to render exploitable results for EU and CELAC regions.
List of Websites:
www.eulachealth.eu
For more information, please, contact Rafael de Andrés (coordinator of EU-LAC Health project) at rdandres@isciii.es