Understanding the layout of emergency scientific research during COVID-19 prevention and control: a comparative analysis of project solicitation and project approval

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 2687 - 18
• Main Authors: Liu, Jida, Wang, Yuxin, Song, Yuwei, Li, Qiaoqiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 07.08.2025; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: China; China - epidemiology; Control; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Emergencies; Emergency scientific research; Epidemics; Health care rationing; Humans; Influence; Methods; Prevention; Public Health; Public health emergencies; SARS-CoV-2; Social network analysis; Social networks; Technology distribution; China; COVID-19; Social network analysis; Technology distribution; Emergency scientific research; Public health emergencies
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-24027-x

Emergency scientific research (ESR) is characterized by multidisciplinary integration, multidemand matching, and multiscenario application, which impose greater applicability requirements and tolerance for costs than conventional scientific research does. Analyzing the implementation law of ESR may serve as a reference to strengthen deployment and optimize the layout strategy of ESR. This study systematically compares the differences between the solicitation and approval of ESR projects by analyzing the projects deployed by the Chinese government during the COVID-19 outbreak. On the basis of 1,654 ESR project records collected from provincial-level governments across China (333 solicitations and 1,321 approvals), we apply descriptive statistical methods and structural metrics via social network analysis to construct "subject-research direction" 2-mode networks and association networks. The characteristics and rules of the ESR layout are systematically traced and classified from the perspectives of quantitative distribution, regional distribution, and resource distribution. The key directions of ESR for public health emergencies can be divided into three categories: urgent directions required in the initial stage of public health emergencies; sustained directions for multiphase response in different emergency stages; and expandable directions that have been proven effective in practice and can improve long-term governance. The clear divergence between the solicitation and approval phases illustrates the system's dynamic adaptation to emerging needs and innovation uncertainties. This study also shows that ESR deployment is influenced by existing scientific research capabilities and regional advantages while requiring multipath exploration and resource synergy to achieve the optimal configuration. The effective deployment of ESR demands cross-regional coordination, real-time matching of needs and resources, and institutional feedback loops to ensure that research outputs are timely and actionable. By synthesizing layout rules in terms of quantity, regional coordination, and resource integration, this study contributes theoretical foundations and practical strategies for improving ESR system design in future public health emergencies.