Digital Storytelling to Communicate COVID-19 Research Efforts

Area of Science:

• Clinical and Translational Science
• Public Health Research
• Pandemic Response

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic, starting March 2020, presented unprecedented global challenges to survival, food security, and social structures.
• Timely research was essential for understanding and mitigating viral spread, patient treatment, and broader health implications.
• The Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research (NNE-CTR) Network, established in 2017, focuses on advancing research infrastructure in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the NNE-CTR Network's response to the COVID-19 pandemic over its first three years.
• To summarize and disseminate the network's immediate and broad research contributions during the pandemic.
• To highlight the network's role in addressing local, national, and global health challenges.

Main Methods:

• The Tracking and Evaluation Core (TEC) of the NNE-CTR Network conducted the assessment.
• Digital storytelling, an arts-based dissemination method, was employed to summarize research findings.
• An analysis identified key areas of the NNE-CTR Network's pandemic response.

Main Results:

• The NNE-CTR Network demonstrated a four-pronged response to the pandemic.
• Key responses included rapid funding reallocation for early research, provision of innovative laboratory support and technologies, engagement in national research collaborations, and diverse pandemic-related research.
• Eighteen distinct research projects addressing the pandemic were highlighted through digital storytelling.

Conclusions:

• The NNE-CTR Network was strategically positioned to address the COVID-19 pandemic effectively.
• The network's adaptable infrastructure and collaborative approach facilitated a robust research response.
• The use of digital storytelling proved effective in disseminating the impact of the network's research efforts.