The COVID-19 Task Force, a collective effort between several Luxembourg research institutions regrouped under Research Luxembourg, was commended for its key role in coordinating the provision of support from the national research community to healthcare providers and the government while bringing evidence-based research findings to the public’s attention in educational and informative ways.

By providing data on a regular basis throughout the duration of the pandemic, the Task Force helped inform key government decisions, such as launching a large-scale testing programme, and effectively contributed to protecting the most vulnerable whilst keeping society open for others. In addition, the Task Force’s outreach efforts in the form of press conferences and media interviews kept the public informed on the evolving science around the new virus and linked disease.

According to the WHO, Luxembourg placed at the top of European countries with the lowest rate of excess mortality over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, in a report published last year, the OECD credited Luxembourg for its pandemic response, including the creation of the Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Task Force at the onset of the crisis.

The Science for Society Prize applicants are evaluated by an independent jury, made up of members from the research community, decision-makers, the technology sector and the press. The jury is responsible for assessing all applications and submitting a preselection to the foundation’s management committee. The Science for Society Foundation’s management committee selects the winning candidate.

The Science for Society Prize is organized with support from the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), which will join the Science for Society Foundation in awarding the 5.000 EUR prize to the winner during a ceremony later this month.