Table 1 List of recommendations

Knowledge mobilization

Investment in KM: Allocate resources to enhance knowledge dissemination mechanisms, innovation diffusion and research translation strategies. Strengthen the capacity to disseminate critical information and best practices to stakeholders, improving response capabilities during future health crises [10, 35]

Data availability and integration: Improve data sharing practices by promoting early posting of research protocols and results. Develop standardized protocols for data sharing, implement data integration platforms and foster a culture of open science to enhance research, surveillance and decision-making [35]

Trust and public commitment: Engage communities through transparent communication, involve them in research design and promote citizen science initiatives to build trust, enhance participation and promote responsible data sharing. This approach strengthens community resilience and facilitates effective health emergency responses [48]

Technology for mass public participation: Involve the public in research activities to increase the diversity of perspectives and enhance research relevance. Utilize technology, such as smartphone applications, to capture patient-generated data and enable mass public participation. Invest in technology infrastructure, ensuring data privacy and security and promoting user-friendly interfaces for public engagement [35]

Collaboration

Global coordination and accountability: Collaborate with institutions such as the WHO and global health systems to enhance pandemic preparedness and response on a global scale [42]

Partnerships with private institutions: Diversify funding sources for health research systems by collaborating with private institutions and charitable foundations, especially in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean [18, 44]

Enhancing research tools and methods for collaboration: Invest in research tools, methods and standards to expedite pandemic response. Utilize technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to improve collaboration and embrace agile editorial formats to foster transparency and trust in research outcomes [40]

Collaboration with implementation science centres: Partner with implementation science centres to accelerate research efforts and identify effective healthcare strategies during public health crises [45]

Community engagement and digital technologies: Strengthen community engagement and use digital technologies to lower barriers to collaboration, ensuring diverse perspectives and needs are considered in pandemic response efforts [19]

Exchange of good practices and science-industry collaborations: Promote collaboration among research infrastructure managers and foster partnerships between academia and the private sector to optimize resource allocation and accelerate crisis response. Agile funding mechanisms can address conflicting priorities and incentivize rapid research efforts [19]

Monitoring and evaluation

Review and revise indicators for decision-making: Update indicators related to health research and development to align with evolving global health priorities. This ensures research investments meet current needs and improve decision-making processes [24, 45, 53]

Improve data collection and monitoring: Systematically collect and monitor key health research indicators. This enables effective resource allocation, informed policy decisions and enhanced preparedness for future health emergencies [13, 53]

Encourage routine reporting on health research indicators: Promote regular reporting on health research and development indicators to track progress, ensure accountability and support evidence-based decision-making [41, 54]

Support global surveillance: Enhance local and global surveillance efforts for early detection of emerging pathogens. This reduces the risk of widespread transmission and strengthens preparedness and response capabilities [13, 24]

Transparent processes and feedback loops: Implement transparent processes, establish expert panels and incorporate feedback loops for setting research priorities and monitoring progress against research agendas [50, 55]

Research infrastructure

Develop research infrastructure for crisis response: Establish mechanisms to enable proactive mental health research responses to emerging crises. Invest in infrastructure designed for crisis preparedness and resilience and promote collaboration among diverse stakeholders [18]

Recognize and support research infrastructures: Invest in both human and technological capacities to ensure research infrastructures (RIs) can respond effectively to emergencies. Support RIs with innovations in technology and governance to enhance resilience and adaptability [16]

Coordinate national, regional and international research infrastructures: Coordinate efforts among RIs to address global science needs and regional priorities, leveraging complementary strengths and resources [47]

Maintain successful infrastructures: Sustain existing infrastructures, such as clinical research networks and patient safety translation centres, to ensure readiness for both minor and major health threats. Prioritize ongoing maintenance and operational support to preserve essential capabilities and collaborations for efficient responses to future health emergencies

Prioritization

Stabilize clinical trial networks: Maintain and sustain large-scale global clinical trial networks for rapid resource mobilization and international collaboration [13]

Involve experts and networks: Engage experts and inclusive independent networks to address systemic issues and develop tailored pandemic response strategies [18]

Align funding with global health priorities: Coordinate research and development (R and D) funding to align with global health priorities for effective resource allocation [23]

Encourage coordination and data sharing: Promote coordination between funding bodies and prioritize alignment with public health needs [56]

Governance

New governance mechanism: Establish a new governance structure to complement the existing Canadian Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC), focusing on enhancing research coordination and rapid response to pandemics [29]

Involvement of regulators and establishment of clinical guidelines: Engage regulators early to avoid delays and establish trustworthy clinical guidelines to translate research findings into practice in real time [13]

Integration with healthcare systems: Integrate health research directly into healthcare systems to ensure seamless translation of research into clinical practice, improving patient outcomes during pandemics [26]

Resource allocation and capacity

Increased funding for health policy and systems research (HPSR): Invest in research that informs health policy and system improvements and broad research across disciplines such as virology, genomics and epidemiology to enhance pandemic preparedness [13, 44]

Investment in research infrastructure: Financially support research infrastructure, including ethics boards, research coordinators, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and lab services. Creating dedicated funding mechanisms and incentivizing hospitals to grow research programs are also recommended [50]

Prioritizing core capacities: Invest in the health workforce, laboratories, data systems and risk communication to strengthen health research systems. This includes training skilled personnel, upgrading labs and improving data and communication strategies [42]

Improving response capacity: Enhance HRS response capacity by developing practical response plans and inter-hospital coordination systems to manage resources efficiently during emergencies [42]

Addressing brain drain: Provide training in research methodology, ethics and priority-setting to enhance research capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and other regions, and invest in educational programs to retain local talent [41]

Strategic planning

Develop a comprehensive and coherent national health research system (NHRS) strategy that includes:

• Context analyses: Conduct thorough analyses to understand the specific challenges, needs and opportunities within the national health research system

• Comprehensive strategies: Address governance, financing, capacity-building and research production processes through multifaceted strategies

• Stakeholder engagement: Involve policymakers, researchers, healthcare providers, patients, community representatives and international partners

• Monitoring and evaluation: Implement tools to track progress and assess the impact of NHRS strengthening initiatives

• Develop partnerships: Form collaborations with international organizations, academic institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders for resource mobilization, knowledge exchange and collaborative research [41]

Long-term planning for broader health system implications:

Establish long-term plans to address the broader implications of pandemics on health outcomes, health equity and overall health system performance

Anticipate and plan for post-pandemic health, social and economic policies to mitigate long-term impacts [27]

Alignment of research system for pandemic research studies:

• Ensure the research system is prepared to develop, fund and conduct pandemic research studies

• Incentivize platform studies for rapid evaluation of multiple interventions against new infectious diseases [19]

Develop national strategies for research infrastructure management

• Align infrastructure investments with national research priorities and ensure efficient resource allocation

• Develop clear guidelines for infrastructure management to optimize resource use and enhance research capacity [32]