Longer Covid: Funders consider lasting changes post-pandemic

European Research Council chief outlines ongoing flexibilities as researchers fear Covid’s long-term impact on careers

As Covid vaccine rollouts press ahead and a post-pandemic world appears on the horizon, funders are taking stock of the upheavals of the past 18 months and whether measures introduced in reaction to the pandemic might be worth keeping.

In April and October 2020, Funding Insight published summaries of the short-term flexibilities introduced by funders to help grantees affected by Covid-19. But as the pandemic recedes, there are questions about the long-term impact on research careers and how funders should best support the community.