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Drexel University Rapid Response Research and Development Funding Awardees

Drexel's Rapid Response Research & Development Fund was designated for urgent action, short-term projects focused on COVID-19 related health and health-related research and development.

The enthusiasm and the level of response to the Rapid Response Research & Development Fund was incredible. We received 40 submissions. With only a limited amount of funding available, selecting projects amongst this strong group of submissions was very challenging.

The awarded projects fall into five broad categories

Chronicling the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Health and Telehealth Care Delivery: Perspectives from Providers and Older Adults

  • RoseAnn DiMaria-Ghalili (CNHP), Kym Montgomery (CNHP), Gloria Gonzalez-Kruger (CNHP), Michael Weingarten (CoM)

COVID-19: Slow Disaster

  • Scott Knowles (CoAS)

Creating a COVID-19 Urban Vulnerability Data Tool to Inform Mobilization and Coalition-Building

  • Amy Carroll-Scott (DSPH), Félice Lê-Scherban (DSPH)

Implementation of an Online Peer Support Community to Assist Women with Substance Abuse Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Study

  • David Bennett (CoM), Barbara Schindler (CoM), Chris Yang (CCI), Ou Stella Liang (CCI)

Improving Spatial Surveillance for COVID-19 Cases While Accounting for Errors in Testing

  • Neal Goldstein (DSPH), Igor Burstyn (DSPH)

Novel Mobile App and Information System for COVID-19 Situational Awareness and Organizational Management

  • Charles Cairns (CoM)

RAPID Assessment of First Responder Mental Health

  • Jennifer Taylor (DSPH), Christian Resick (LCoB), Andrea Davis (DSPH)

Inexpensive, Rapid, Field-Usable Genetic Test to Detect COVID-19 in Asymptomatic Individuals

  • Wan Shih (Biomed)

Biocontainment Intubation “Tent”: Design Refinement, Testing and Deployment

  • Sharon Walker (CoE), Kara Spiller (Biomed), Caroline Schauer (CoE), Michele Marcolongo (CoE), Amy Throckmorton (Biomed), Michael Waring (CoE), James Lo (CoE)

Covid-19: Design-Build of “AJflex Shield” For Hospitals and Health Systems in the Philadelphia Region

  • Amy Throckmorton (Biomed), Michele Marcolongo (CoE), Ellen Bass (CNHP, CCI)

COVID-19: Developing a PPE Facemask and Validating Its Removal Efficiency

  • Michael Waring (CoE), Genevieve Dion (WCoMAD)

PPE Fabric Face Mask for Healthcare Providers and General Use

  • Genevieve Dion (WCoMAD), Charles Cairns (CoM)

Understanding the Disproportionate Impacts of COVID-19 on Low-Income, Minority Communities

  • Allison Groves (DSPH)

Adenosine Deaminase-1 Enhances Efficacy of A DNA Vaccine Encoding SARS-Cov-2 Spike Glycoprotein S1 through Modulation of T Follicular Helper Cells

  • Michele Kutzler (CoM), Elias Haddad (CoM)

Macrocyclic and Small Molecule Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Entry

  • Simon Cocklin (CoM), Adel Rashad (CoM)

Irreversible Inactivation of SARS-Cov-2 by Spike Protein Targeting

  • Irwin Chaiken (CoM)

SARS-Cov-2 Infection and Sensing in Primary Human Macrophages

  • Sonia Navas-Martin (CoM), Julio Martin-Garcia (CoM)

A special thanks to our 15 peer reviewers who worked diligently so that we could award these funds quickly.

Though we were unable to fund all projects, we encourage all submitters to seek COVID-19 project funds by searching the subscription funding databases (Funding Institutional and Pivot), signing up for alerts from grants.gov, reaching out federal agencies and foundations, socializing your projects with program managers in those agencies and foundations, and seeking guidance from internal supports through the Drexel Librarians, Institutional Advancement/Foundation Relations, and Office of Research & Innovation. A summary of some opportunities and resources can be found on the ORI’s COVID-19 Research Funding Opportunities webpage. Questions? Email researchdevelopment@drexel.edu