How has the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale adapted to the health crisis?

La question wasr what we could do to support medical research into COVID-19. Ne are a funding body, supporting French academic research exclusively through calls for projects.for which it takes at least a minimum of 9 months dince leur definition to selection and funding of laboratories. An inappropriate mechanism due to the urgency of the situation. As a resulturing the first half of March, I approached a number of research organizations to see what was being done.

"We didn't go looking for funding until we knew what we were going to do with it." 

The REACTing consortium1 consortium had begun selecting research projects. 4 clinical clinical trials were presented to us, that we decided supportsupport up to 460000 €. Inarallel, the Agence nationale de la Recherche (ANR) has launched thecall for applicationss "Flash ANR COVID-19". More than 270 were received. Among the ANR's selection, the FMR will fund 15 projects for 2,8 M€. In total, the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale is funding 19 projects to the tune of €3.3 million.

As soon as we established this framework, we went and got the money. we communicated our partners and individuals. Nur sponsors and godmothers spoke out in the media poelicit the generosity general public. Today, we have raised almost €3.8 million and we have just to raised our fundraising target to 5 M€ to support other projects2.

En Junewe follow the classic path and question our advisory body, the Research Committee, to study the relevance of longer-term action on infectious diseases in order to guarantee sustainable funding for basic research teams.3.

What do you retain from this period of crisis as a manager?

New partners new partners. Lhe media operation with our sponsors and sponsors, including Thierry Lhermitte, were very effective. In this particular crisis, digital and SMS collections (send NOVIRUS to 92300) increased.

This tremendous donation movementt by itself! On the one hand, propose interesting projects, and on the other, to communicate about them.. Chat we've been doing for the past 15 days - 3 weeks.

"I've never worked like this, nor have I ever seen so many actors so responsive at the same time.. "

I never imagined that everyone, public and private, could be so responsive. be so responsiveand not just on calls for projects. We have obtained some freebies, such as the production of a film by Publicis and its broadcast on TF1. En 8 à 15 dayswe managed to achieve things that, usually, take 2 à 3 months or not at all. With our contacts, we worked on Saturdays and Sundays.anche, but that wasn't a problem.

My concern was: "there are researchers who can be mobilizedwe needut to them to financing quickly". Everything seemed timeless. What blew me away was that the partners were all contactable and respondedwere very quicklyyes or no.

"In 20 years, I've never experienced such rapid collection
in the field of medical research.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkTwlVjbuow&feature=emb_logo

The fact that the object of research has an impact on our daily lives change the relationship with donors?

Restoring is nothing new for the foundation. Faced with the challenges of the epidemic, everyone is moving very fast, on everything.. This applies as much to the implementation our actions as much as to our donors. It's out of the question not to report to them immediately. It's also linked to the nature of our projects. Lone clinical clinical trials REACTing quickly produced interesting results for severe forms. The MRF communicated immediately.

According to youwill this crisis change the way we do business and manage? ?

I've done a lot of things I never thought possible before. Drom one day to the next, the forty employees of FRM employees to telecommuting à 100 %. Ne deployed the necessary equipment and developedé a different way of working.

"In terms of collection, production and communication,
the teams are mobilized and mobilizable."

I have established a strict framework: each director is in constant contact with his or her department heads, and these are in daily daily with their teams. I also also insisted that meetings werent in video so that the link isn't just by voice.

"The challenge was to organize ourselves to implement the COVID projects-19, in parallel withcurrent currents of the foundation! "

Don't forget that nur daily business is to raise funds to select 400 research projects, which represent 45 à 48 M€.

What approach can management take to maintain this agility??

We can't guarantee that this momentum will last. Ct's the notion of relativity that keeps us struggling for findsr solutions and mover.

Concerning deconfinement, the management team and I are going to be flexible and adaptable., in particular, make life easier for employees and and not impose on those with children or commuting public transport public transport to come to the foundation. On the other hand, I do set the pace of meetings so that the link and the transmission and the transmission of information. Mmyself, organize meetingsall staff every 3 à 4 weeks, compared to 4 per year under normal circumstances.

"We oblige ourselves to more restitution, transparency and reassurance." 

Teams need to know that we are in the same boat, to support the foundation's development ambitions development ambitions, whatever the circumstances. We need to give them a clear picture of the paths and projects we will be pursuing in the weeks and months ahead.