CORONAVIRUS TESTING – URGENT APPEAL

A project by: Ulster University

Successful

WE RAISED £112,271

from 1125 donors

This project received pledges on Sun 12 Apr 2020
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Help Ulster University fund key equipment necessary to increase COVID-19 testing tenfold

live update

Any donations received beyond the £100,000 target will be effectively used to increase our testing capacity. More funds equals more tests.

Click on 'Updates' tab to hear from Professor Tony Bjourson on the equipment that your generous donation has bought to increase our coronavirus testing tenfold.

urgent need

The NHS is facing one of the biggest health crises in history - key to saving lives is the ability to rapidly scale up testing capability. 

We urgently need your help to secure funding by midnight, Sunday 12th April for equipment to help increase our coronavirus testing capacity ten-fold.

Can you help Ulster University to play a key role in helping fight coronavirus?

Where will the money go?

We are working as part of a COVID-19 Task Force alongside the Western Health & Social Care Trust (WHSCT) at Altnagelvin Hospital to deliver testing for NHS staff so that they can protect and treat our community. Once increased capacity is established, testing will also be rolled out to further priority groups and ultimately the general public. 

the detail

Representatives from across Ulster University’s campuses led by Professor Tony Bjourson along with Queen’s University and the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute are part of a combined COVID-19 Task Force working with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland to minimise the impact of the deadly virus.

Whilst we have both the necessary academic expertise and first-class research facilities, our testing resources for COVID-19 are limited and we urgently need financial help to buy equipment which will enable us to test at 10 times the current rate. A robotic system will allow faster testing of large numbers with more accuracy.

Ulster University, together with the combined forces of our colleagues in QUB and AFBI, can make a tangible impact on urgent testing requirements in Northern Ireland. We have networks in place to buy the new robotics and essential chemicals required for COVID-19 testing but we need funds to help us do this.

This equipment will benefit Northern Ireland as a whole, offering faster testing facilities for all. Once the COVID-19 threat has passed, this equipment will continue to be of huge benefit, through population screening for a wide range of conditions, speeding up testing and diagnostics.

Why ulster university?

With 100% of Ulster University's Biomedical research environment rated as world-leading or internationally excellent, we're well-placed to work in partnership with WHSCT-Altnagelvin Hospital in the fight against COVID-19. We're already carrying out testing at our hospital-based research facility (C-TRIC). A new piece of equipment is urgently needed to help us to significantly increase the number of tests we're able to carry out. 

Help us succeed- donate today!

  • NHS front line staff, patients and our local communities are depending on us.
  • With your help today we can have this equipment in use in the next few weeks.
  • The testing will begin with NHS staff, social care staff and care home staff, patients in the hospital and community care and then rolled out to the public with medical referrals. 
  • Please consider a gift today and share this link on your social media and via email. Thank you. 

DONATE NOW - SAVE LIVES