Table 3. Roles of Academic Institutions .

Role	Actions	Outcome	Examples
Advisory	Provision of evidence Data analysis Consulting	Support local authorities with decision-making Participation in committees and town halls Opinion pieces and science communication	Georeferencing and epidemiological models contributed to identification of hot areas and case distribution (Cali) A committee of health experts from the different universities in Cali and hospitals and clinics (COPESA) was formed in March 2020. It was led by the ex-governor of the department, a medical doctor and important political figure in the region (Cali) Predictive mathematical models supported lockdown and mobility measures (Bogotá) Agreement between health secretariat and private university to provide ongoing analysis of the situation in the city, considering public health measures implemented (Cartagena)
Infrastructure	Provision of laboratory services for COVID-19 testing	Support national network of laboratories at the beginning of the pandemic Facilitate timely diagnosis and tracing of positive cases	Academic laboratories today represent 18.51% (30 facilities) of the total national network. There are 7 laboratories from universities in Bogotá, 2 in Cali, and 2 in Cartagena A private university led a project to provide 100 000 free PCR tests for the detection of coronavirus to taxi drivers, bus drivers, fire fighters, delivery personnel, etc (Bogotá)
Networking	COVID-19 research development Partnerships with industry	Support with development of research and manufacture of medical supplies	A private university built a partnership with a domestic appliances company and public entity to produce mechanical ventilators that are still waiting for approval (Bogotá)

Abbreviations: COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; COPESA, Comité Público Privado de Expertos en Salud; PCR, polymerase chain reaction.