Updated on: 2020-09-10
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Q1A. What arrangements, if any, do you have in place to ensure scientific advice informs national policy and decision making in relation to Covid-19? | To prevent the further spread of new coronavirus infection, a Coordination Council under the Government of the Russian Federation has been established. A series of meetings has been arranged with top-managers of leading research organisations and pharmaceutical companies aimed to speed up the development, clinical trials and start of production of COVID-19 express tests, as well as drugs for the treatment of diseases caused by the virus. Moscow and a number of major cities and regions have introduced a high alert regime. |
| Q1B. In what ways, if any, are you coordinating on Covid-19 STI responses at international level? | Сoordination of activities and consultations with the World Health Organisation. Bi-lateral arrangements (providing medical support and advice to Italy, China, the USA and other countries). |
| Q2.Do you have dedicated arrangements in place for communicating science advice and for refuting misleading information to the public on Covid-19? | 1. The Investigative Committee of Russia created a working group to prevent the spread of false information about the situation with coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Russia among the population. The work of the working group is aimed at identifying the facts of dissemination, including through the Internet, of false and unverified information about the number of patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Russia, as well as other false information that contributes to panic. 2. Special website has been launched by the Russian government where all the official information about COVID-19 is being posted (https://xn--80aesfpebagmfblc0a.xn--p1ai/...). 3. The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) opened a webpage with verified information on COVID-19, statistical information and recommendations for the population: https://rospotrebnadzor.ru/about/info/ne... A call-center and chat-bot service are functioning to advice population and/ or provide necessary support. 4. Dedicated sections were created on the websites of responsible ministries and agencies to provide official information about COVID-19 within their areas of responsibility. 5. Ammendments to the legislation prohibiting the distibution of misleading information about Covid-19 and suggesting substantial fines for organisations and individuals disseminating false information. |
| Q3. What new STI policy measures, if any, is your country taking to respond specifically to the Covid-19 crisis? | Since 13 March, 2020 the following policy measures related to STI are being implemented: 1. Allocation of additional budgetary funding (1.5 billion roubles) for the development of means of prevention and diagnosis of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-2019). 2. Allocation of additional budgetary funding for the domestic production of artificial respirating units (Source: https://xn--80aesfpebagmfblc0a.xn--p1ai/...). 3. Since March 16, all Russian universities were recommended to introduce mixed and distance learning formats. To support universities during the transition period in connection with the unfavorable situation caused by the new coronavirus infection (COVID-2019), a Situation Center of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and a hotline have been created. The recommendations for the universities on the transfer of educational courses to the online format were developed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. 4. The procedure for registration of medical devices for the diagnosis of coronavirus infection has been accelerated (https://www.rosminzdrav.ru/news/2020/03/...). 5. On March 24 the Skolkovo Technopark initiated a crowdsourcing project to develop COVID-19 express medical tests available for wider population. 6. Skolkovo Foundation introduced a series of startup projects to the Government for direct support (see section B Q5) as well as lowered co-financing requirement for obtaining grants on projects that aim at preventing the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic to 25%. 7. Russian Venture Company provides grants of up to 50 million roubles with 30 % co-financing for projects that address a specific urgent problem caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 8. Russian Foundation for Basic Research provides grants of 3 to 6 million roubles for the best 2-year research projects on the emergence and spread of coronavirus epidemics |
| Q4A. At national level, what mechanisms are you developing or relying upon to bring together different STI actors (researchers, industry, government, health sector, foundations, etc.) to effectively collaborate on responses to Covid-19? | 1. To prevent the further spread of new coronavirus infection a Coordination Council under the Government of the Russian Federation has been established. 2. Situation centers at the level of federal and regional authorities have been created. |
| Q4B. At international level, what mechanisms are you developing or relying upon to bring together different STI actors (researchers, industry, government, health sector, foundations, etc.) to effectively collaborate on responses to Covid-19? | Russian specialists from the State Research Center of virology and biotechnology "VECTOR" and other research institiutions cooperate closely with their chinese colleagues on the development of efficient means to fight COVID-19, including sharing information and joint research on tests, drugs and vaccine for the virus. |
| Q5. What novel approaches, if any, is your country using to address the coronavirus crisis (e.g. use of machine learning, open science initiatives boosting access and sharing of data and research results, development and use of prediction models, etc.)? | Russian companies residents of the Skolkovo Technopark are developing new technologies and solutions against the new coronavirus infection: - DRD company is working on a rapid coronavirus detection test. To speed up the process, the Foundation asks the government to provide access to biomaterials; - National BioService is ready to provide its own biobank for drug developers. Its library on other diseases may also be useful for cross-reactivity tests with other diseases; - Tion has prepared a solution for effective indoor air disinfection that can already be implemented; - Skolkovo has also developed antiviral drugs that can be effective against coronavirus; - the Botki.AI medical decision support system, based on artificial intelligence, can accelerate X-ray analysis of patients with suspected pneumonia caused by coronavirus; - Data Matrix provides a free platform for companies that develop coronavirus drugs; - companies at Skolkovo are also working on the new solutions for distance learning and remote work, including monitoring the actions of employees when they move to a remote location; and a robotic advisor who can replace staff when communicating with people in public places. The research of Russian scientists has been recently published regarding "Artificial intelligence for the repurposing of approved or investigational drugs against COVID-19" https://www.researchgate.net/publication... Compex ICT systems are being implemented to track locations of COVID-19 cases to control the spreading of the disease. Some universities and commercial teaching centres are opening their online courses for wider audience free of charge. |
| Q6A. What impact on the STI system do you anticipate in the short-, medium- and long-term, and what measures are you implementing to address those? | It is difficult to anticipate the impact of COVID-19 crisis on the Russian STI system especially in the medium- and long-term. In the short-term one might expect targeted support of focused research devoted to the development of drugs against the coronovirus infection, as well as the development of new means for testing the COVID-19. Considering the expected slowdown in the global economy, gross R&D expenditures may decrease in the mid-term, especially those performed by the business enterprise sector. On the other hand, we may expect a further increase in the digitalisation of science and the economy as a whole, as well as strengthening of the role of the state. In the mid-term, a revision of STI policy priorities and certain growth of innovation activity (as a result of the search for the opportunities to meet the demand in new economic conditions) might take place. In the long-term, there is a possibility for the development of autonomous production technologies (within the framework of general partial reindustrialisation) and for the robotisation in the service sector. |
| Q6B. Is support of the STI system part of planned stimulus packages aimed at supporting the economy? | Policy measures to support SMEs and entrepreneurs have been introduced by the President of Russia on 25 March, 2020: - SMEs are granted a deferral of all taxes, except VAT, for six months. Micro-enterprises will be given a deferment of insurance payments. - The size of insurance payments for employees of SMEs should be reduced from 30% to 15% (this will not affect salaries at or below the minimum wage). - Loans to individual entrepreneurs will be prolonged. - SMEs affected by the crisis should receive a loan extension of six months. - A six-month moratorium on filing bankruptcy claims by companies and collecting debts and fines. (Source: http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/...). There is an ongoing discussion on the measures for continuous support of the ongoing research projects and grant renewals. No regulation has been established yet. |
| Q7. Is there anything else regarding the STI policy response to Covid-19 in your country you would like to mention? | [Left blank] |