It is likely that every country on the planet will be required to deal with the acute risk of the COVID-19 virus. The decisions governments make will directly impact the wellbeing and the future of almost everyone alive today. The actions that take place at the interface between science and policy will be critical in the immediate response and also the long lead time of recovery.
That is why INGSA is calling on its members to contribute to a knowledge base from which we can draw the lessons that have to come from this situation. There will be a range of ways that you can contribute and we are also interested in hearing your proposals for other ways this information can be collected, sythesised and analysed.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE:
You are welcome to email the INGSA secretariat with topic proposals before completing your contribution OR you are welcome to send through completed items and they will be sent to the editorial committee for review. If you come across any articles or papers of relevance we encourage you to send these through.
Send all enquiries, contributions or requests to covid@ingsa.org
SCOPE:
INGSA's role is to evaluate how evidence - from the natural sciences as well as the social sciences and humanities - has interacted with the social and political systems to inform decision-making. Therefore our focus will be in the interfaces between research, policy and society - we will not be accepting discussions purely on the epidemiological nature of the outbreak or other logistical issues of containment.
We are looking for contributions on:
- Evidence-informed policy mechanisms at the local, sub-national, national and international levels
- Regulation and regulatory science that interact with the decision-making process
- The discussion of policy choices and the extent to which science was evident in these
- Misinformation and the role of expertise in digital communication
- Social and personal resilience and the role science and government in these
- Foresighting of issues/solutions for the global recovery and beyond
- Any other of the multitude of concerns at the science/policy/society interface
TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS:
This website will evolve as necessary. Initially we are looking for people to contribute:
| Online Resources | Please send through links to online commentary, key policy announcements or analysis that is relevant to science advice in emergencies. These will be collated in the Resources section. | |
| Thinkpieces and Blogs | Short insightful pieces addressing the critical issues at the heart of the COVID-19 response around the world. | From 300 - 1000 words (or more if required) |
| Academic Papers | If publishing in this field, make sure you alert us to any impending publication so that we can include or promote. You might also consider INGSA's Palgrave Collection journal for publication. | |
| Videos / Interviews | INGSA is interested in interviewing people working at the forefront of these matters, if you know of any relevant existing videos please share. If you would be interested in interviewing someone, or in being interviewed, contact covid@ingsa.org | From 3 min to 1 hr |
| Webinars / Online panels | While the world is in lockdown, it is a great opportunity to coordinate small group discussion or open webinars on topics to begin to dissect issues or to prepare. If you have an idea for an online discussion or would like to coordinate and run a webinar or panel, let us know | Enquire for more information |
| National Policy-Making Rapporteur | INGSA will be working with international partners to assist with mapping how the evidence is/was used to advise policy decisions during the pandemic. If you are working in this area or would like to assist in your local context, please get in touch with us at covid@ingsa.org. | Enquire for more information |
CONTACT
To contribute or enquire, please contact covid@ingsa.org