Fund to tackle data gap in humanitarian crisis response

"An innovative new research programme is being set up to help build evidence for cost-effective health provision in humanitarian crises — an area where there are major data gaps. The programme will feature a number of funding rounds, including a unique 'rapid response research' facility that will allow pre-approved research programmes to be initiated at short notice in crisis situations....Jimmy Whitworth, head of international activities at the Wellcome Trust, said the facility is a real novelty. "We've talked for a number of years about how great it would be if this existed," he said. However there are a number of challenges facing the team, including how to manage the research ethics for a range of unspecified locations, and obtaining permission to make research proposals open access even as researchers are waiting to collect any data."