NIH Gives NYU $470 Million Award to Build COVID-19 RECOVER Initiative

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) continue to build their Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, a national study population of diverse research to gauge the long-term effects of COVID-19, after awarding a $470 million grant to New York University (NYU) Langone Health.

“We know some people have had their lives completely upended by the major long-term effects of COVID-19,” Francis Collins, MD, PhD, NIH director, said in a statement. “These studies will aim to determine the cause and find much needed answers to prevent this often-debilitating condition and help those who suffer move toward recovery.”

NYU will make multiple sub-awards to more than 100 investigators at 30 different institutions and will also serve as the RECOVER Clinical Science Core.

The RECOVER Cohort comprises a combined population of research participants from existing and new cohorts, called a meta-cohort.

The NIH launched RECOVER to learn about the long-term effects and prolonged symptoms of COVID-19, including developing new or returning symptoms. RECOVER cohort data include clinical information, laboratory tests, and analyses of individuals in various stages of recovery following COVID-19 infection.

“Given the range of symptoms that have been reported, intensive research using all available tools is necessary to understand what happens to stall recovery from this terrible virus. Importantly, the tissue pathology studies in RECOVER will enable in depth studies of the virus’s effects on all body systems,” Walter Koroshetz, MD, director of the NIH’s national institute of neurological disorders and stroke and one of the RECOVER co-chairs, said in the statement.

The studies include adults, pediatric populations, and pregnant women who have acute and post-acute phases of the COVID-19 infection.

The funding was supported by the American Rescue Plan.

Reference

NIH builds large nationwide study population of tens of thousands to support research on long-term effect of COVID-19. EurekAlert. News release. September 15, 2021. Accessed September 16, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/928447