Minister of Higher Education Brian Mushimba has said that the K57 million COVID-19 epidemic preparedness fund approved by cabinet shall also carters for research on the coronavirus.
Speaking in an interview with Lusaka Star, Dr. Mushimba said the University of Zambia researchers or any other researcher who wants to conduct research can access the COVID-19 preparedness fund, which is readily available.
Dr. Mushimba added that any researcher who intends to undertake a research in line with COVID-19 should write a proposal to the committee that is administering the fund for approval.
It is a Covid-19 fund, which carters for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), other logistics and targeted research on Covid-19, then you can access it,
he said.
Meanwhile, UNZA Researcher and Ethics Committee Chairperson Dr. Sody Munsaka, who is also Acting Dean of the School of Health Sciences, has welcomed the call for application.
Actually this is what we have been looking forward to that government should invest into research,
Dr. Munsaka said.
Dr. Munsaka said that researchers are encouraged to apply for the grant so that they can have access to the fund.
Last month Government set up an epidemic preparedness fund under the Ministry of Health amounting to K57 million which was approved by cabinet towards the fight against the pandemic.