IMPACT SNAPSHOT: Bradford’s COVID Scientific Advisory Group (CSAG)

We rapidly established a research-informed pandemic response group that shaped Bradford’s test and trace service and addressed misinformation in diverse communities.

#Sickness to Prevention

The Yorkshire and Humber ARC quickly mobilised in March 2020 to establish Bradford’s COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Group (CSAG), creating a powerful model for research-informed pandemic response at the local level.

Key Impacts:

• Rapidly established a collaborative structure connecting academic researchers with local authority leaders, public health officials, and NHS partners.
• Leveraged existing research infrastructure including the Born in Bradford cohorts and Connected Bradford data to provide real-time evidence.
• Directly informed Bradford’s test and trace service development based on local epidemiological patterns.
• Shaped local mental health needs assessment and associated business cases, resulting in system-wide approach.
• Successfully secured funding for new programs, including JUMP! for children and young people.
• Provided evidence for addressing misinformation and vaccine hesitancy specific to Bradford’s diverse communities.
• Submitted evidence to House of Commons and House of Lords committees and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.
• Featured in national media including BBC Radio 4 and BBC Look North.

The CSAG exemplifies how ARC infrastructure can be rapidly repurposed to meet urgent public health challenges. By establishing a “virtuous loop” connecting data, lived community experiences, and policy decisions, the group enabled Bradford to develop tailored, evidence-based responses to the pandemic. As described by Duncan Cooper, Consultant in Public Health at Bradford Council, CSAG delivered reports “at lightning speed by academic standards” and became “the go-to resource on our doorstep.” The model’s success has prompted consideration of making CSAG a permanent scientific advisory committee for the district, extending its influence beyond the pandemic.