Prof Lauren Andres awarded funding for pandemic research

Professor Lauren Andres (PI) has been successful in securing funding from The British Academy as part of their programme 'Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons to Learn from COVID-19 across the G7'. Lauren will be leading this 18 month project (£99,375 FEC) along with collaborators at Tokyo City University and the Paris School of Urban Planning, University of Paris Est Creteil – Val de Marne.

About the project

Cities and specifically large and very dense metropolitan areas have been severely impacted by COVID-19, particularly affecting people’s health and wellbeing as well as local economies. There is an urgent need to gather insights, assess and reflect on how cities have, and can be, adapted promptly and proactively as to immediately mitigate the impact of any future pandemics while ensuring their urban, social and economic resilience and continuity as rich transactional spaces hosting all types of human, economic, financial and information flows. While we situate this research area across the G7, we will focus on three continents North America, Europe and Asia and zoom on four cities: New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo. The project's ultimate goal is to co-design a set of multi-scalar and evidence-based lessons so as to promote proactive adaptability with a panel of built environment experts.

About the Pandemic Preparedness Awards

The British Academy has announced funding for seven research projects that identify lessons learned and lessons to learn for future pandemic preparedness from the experience within G7 countries of preparing for, adapting and responding to COVID-19.

Funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the awards will support researchers in the SHAPE disciplines to draw out lessons learned and identify areas where further reflection and analysis is needed to ensure future resilience.

The awards provide up to £100,000 each and will run over a duration of up to 18 months. Successful projects include those looking into the role of digital technologies and community engagement in pandemic preparedness.