University of Leeds team to deliver research underpinning WHO Faith Commission
Outputs will include a major Lancet Global Health Series, open‑access reports, policy briefings and global convenings.
The Templeton Religion Trust (TRT) has awarded $1.24 million to an international team of scholars led by Emma Tomalin (Professor of Religion and Public Life) at the University of Leeds’ School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science for a 24-month project to examine how faith actors can be more effectively integrated into pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response.
The wider research team includes, at the University of Leeds, Sanjoy Bhattacharya (Professor of Medical and Global Health Histories and Head of the School of History) and Rebecca King (Professor of Global Health and Community Engagement), as well as Stan Chu Ilo at DePaul University, Chicago.
The project brings together an international team of academics, World Health Organisation (WHO) collaborators, government stakeholders, including Sri Lankan government partners, and faith actors.
In collaboration with the WHO Faith Network, the project will convene six international research groups to generate new evidence and practical guidance on partnership models, health systems strengthening, and trust-building for enhanced pandemic preparedness and response.
Outputs will include a major Lancet Global Health Series, open‑access reports, policy briefings and global convenings.
It will culminate in a Geneva symposium and inform a future WHO Commission on Faith Partners as Essential to Successful Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response – aiming to move from ad hoc collaboration toward systematic, evidence‑based engagement with faith communities worldwide.
