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Egypt allocates EGP 30m to support innovative proposals to counter COVID-19 Researchers and innovators are encouraged to present solutions improving health care capacities to combat COVID-19.
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar launched on Wednesday a new initiative entitled “Apply Your Idea”, allocating EGP 30m to support innovations, aiming to counter the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Egypt and the world are currently a challenging pandemic, Abdel-Ghaffar said. "The ministry decided to carry out this initiative aiming for providing sterilisers and antiseptics according to the standards of the World Health Organization." Researchers and innovators are encouraged to present solutions improving health care capacities to combat COVID-19. Submissions are accepted from 24 to 28 March at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT). Proposals could also be submitted through the official website of the ASRT. Head of ASRT Mahmoud Sakr said that the academy will provide technical, material, and logistical help. "Paving the way for these Egyptian innovations to reach the production phase." The grant was given for the production of fast and broad manufacturing tools, 3D printers and CNC machines to design reusable masks. It also aims for designing simple or low-cost respirators, and developing treated and antimicrobial textiles for health care workers. It also covers local manufacturing of hand sanitisers and developing diagnostic kits to detect COVID-19. Sakr said that proposals will be technically evaluated, and accepted proposals will be presented via video conference to a specialised committee. “The committee will consist of manufactures, university professors, academic researches, and experts. Winners will be informed to sign a contract in the first week of April,” Sakr concluded.
