Global Collaboration Research Strategies for Sustainability in the Post COVID-19 Era: Analyzing Virology-Related National-Funded Projects

Doyeon Lee, Jongseok Kang and Keunhwan Kim
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Doyeon Lee: Division of Data Analysis, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Seoul 02456, Korea
Jongseok Kang: Division of Data Analysis, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Seoul 02456, Korea
Keunhwan Kim: Division of Data Analysis, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Seoul 02456, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: In the post-COVID-19 era, virology-related research, which not only depends on the governments as its main source of funding but also requires international and interdisciplinary collaborations, is recognized as an essential defense for sustainability. Few published studies have examined the trend, but only for certain viruses before the mid-2010s. Moreover, it is challenging to define generally accepted virology-related research fields due to its broad spectrum. Thus, it is time that we confront the unprecedented pandemic to understand the status of nationally supported projects in developed nations to establish international collaborative research strategies from an interdisciplinary perspective. In this study, 32,365 national-funded projects were collected from the US, EU, and Japan and assigned to five scientific fields to conduct a cluster analysis. Then, an expert-based approach was utilized to define an individual cluster. Moreover, a comparative analysis between nations was carried out to determine if there was a competitive edge for collaboration. As a result, a framework for virology-related research areas was constructed to provide the status quo and differences between nations’ research capabilities, thereby eliciting practical global research and development (R&D) cooperation to achieve a common agenda and a direction for goals in the post-COVID-19 era. These findings have implications for viral response R&D, policy, and practice for future pandemics. A systematic approach based on scientific evidence and an R&D collaboration strategy between industry and academia is essential to resolve the interdisciplinary barriers between countries and promote sustainable virus R&D collaboration.

Keywords: virology; collaboration; interdisciplinary; national scientific funding; comparative analysis; cluster analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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