Welcome and Opening Statements

• A reminder to all HC-SIG members that this meeting is being recorded
  • Videoconferencing/teleconferencing connect details are available here
    
    

• Reading of the Linux Foundation Antitrust Policy

  • Hyperledger Antitrust Slide

Introductions

• If you’re new to the group, please…

  • Introduce yourself

  • Tell us where you're geographically located

  • Share with us your interests in healthcare in general, and blockchain technologies in specific

  • Consider posting your contact information in our HC-SIG Membership Directory
  • Questions? Review our HC-SIG FAQ for answers

Community Announcements

• Student application is open for this year's Hyperledger Mentorship Program

  • Details here: https://www.hyperledger.org/blog/2020/03/23/hyperledger-summer-mentorship-program-returns-with-18-projectsAdditional details here

  • We would love to receive lots of applications from our own academic members and hopefully their students get selected to work on some of these projects this year

  • Application deadline: APR 24 (2020.04.24)
    
    

• Do you have any announcements that you'd like to share with the HC-SIG community?

  • Feel free to make an announcement here, on our Rocket.Chat channel, or via our email listserv

Special Topic: Conquering the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic

How can blockchain technologies have a positive impact on the identification, prevention, and management of this pandemic?

• How might innovative blockchain technologies--including DLTs, SSI, and cryptocurrencies/tokens--solutions help to:
  • Slow the progression of this deadly virus
  • Manage life-saving logistics networks and medical supply chains with improved throughput and efficiencies

Guest Presentation

• • Serve as a means for more timely and more accurate healthcare communications model across communities, states, provinces, and countries

Special Guest Speakers

• Brajesh Awasthi, Founder and CEO of Symblock
  • A brief introduction to Symblock's solution, and how their platform might be useful in solving some of the issues we face with the continuing spread of the COVID-19 virus
  • Please note: Brajesh and his team will be presenting more formally at an upcoming HC-SIG General Meeting, and we thank him for offering to help drive today's very timely and important discussion around the COVID-19 virus pandemic

Status and Funding/Support from Around the World

• Canada
• Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research Funding Opportunity. On March 19, 2020, the honourable Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Health, announced an additional investment of $25M to the Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research competition. This additional funding is a portion of the $275M dedicated for COVID-19 research as announced by the Prime Minister on March 11, 2020. With this investment, CIHR will be able to fund an additional 49 grants, which brings the total number of grants funded to 96 and a total investment of $52.6M
•  Ireland
  • Health Research Board (HRB). The research priorities of this call are aligned with the WHO R&D Blueprint and informed by the Global Infectious Disease Collaboration for International Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R)

Status and Funding/Support in the US

• Brigham and Women's Emergency Department
  • On MAR 17, Open Call for Solutions issued. Brigham and Women's Emergency Department is calling for text based platforms to help healthcare professionals (clinicians, receptionists, technicians, and others) monitor symptoms of coronavirus, report burnout, and access helpful resources. The tool would be used by clinicians, receptionists, technicians and others in the healthcare field. If selected, it would roll out in the Brigham Emergency Department first.
    
    
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Funding Opportunities for Small Businesses (SBIRs/STTRs). Updated MAR 18. The NCI participates in the NIH-issued SBIR and an STTR Omnibus grant solicitation for small businesses, which allow small businesses to submit researcher-initiated projects that are within NIH’s mission. 
   
• National Institute of Health (NIH) Funding Opportunities. Urgent Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Urgent Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional) recently updated through "Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Availability of Administrative Supplements and Revision Supplements on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)." Additional details available here.
  
  
• Additional COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
  • UC Davis Office of Research provides a regularly updated set of links tied to COVID-19 funding opportunities across numerous US agencies, including Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Gates Foundation.

• Placeholder: SymBlock

• Presentation slides are available here (PDF)

Next Meeting

• Scheduled for Friday, 2020.04.17, 0700 Pacific Time

• Discussion: topics to add to agenda?