Chief Scientist Office

COVID-19 Pandemic

The rapidly evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation has necessitated changes to arrangements for health research in order to help protect the safety of research participants and researchers and to allow clinical research staff to support the NHS. As a consequence, we recognise that many research studies that CSO funds, or that are supported by NHS Research Scotland, have needed to be paused or changes made to research plans.

Working with partners across the UK, Scotland is leading, enabling and delivering world-class COVID-19 research, a key element of the Government’s overall response to the pandemic. Given the extraordinary pressures currently being faced by the health and care system, we must ensure the best use of limited resources and capacity available to support research. As such, Scotland forms part of a single national UK process led by NIHR and draws on expert advice to prioritise those time critical COVID-19 studies which hold the most potential for tackling the challenges faced.

CSO will continue to work closely with NHS Research Scotland, is in close contact with other health research funding organisations across the UK, and updates will be provided in our news section and by links below.

CSO is part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates. Our vision is to support and increase the level of high-quality health research conducted in Scotland. This is for the health and financial benefits of our population so that Scotland is recognised globally as a ‘come to place’ for health science. Our Strategy published in October 2015 is available below:

Delivering Innovation through Research – Scottish Government Health and Social Care Research Strategy

For more on our approach to funding

This website contains information about all aspects of the work of CSO which encompasses awarding grants and fellowships, funding research units, supporting all research in NHSScotland through NRS (NHS Research Scotland), contributing to UK-wide research programmes managed by NETSCC, encouraging industry funded research and fostering a research culture in NHSScotland.

Our latest news is available in the news bar on the right hand side or via our twitter  @CSO_Scotland         

CSO Privacy Policy is available here.