For more than three years now, the COVID-19 pandemic has preoccupied the world with drastic changes for everyone and unprecedented challenges for policy makers. Data-based modeling has been an important factor in the epidemic impact assessment of various measures to contain infectious diseases and has brought the importance of modeling the transmission dynamics of serious infectious diseases to the attention of policy makers, scientists, and the public at general.

Infectious disease epidemiological models are an elementary tool for timely and targeted responses in the fight against pathogens. They link existing knowledge, make it interpretable and enable predictions about the spread dynamics of infectious diseases. This includes not only medical factors, but also social and psychological factors, such as contact behavior or collected containment measures. The more and the better data are included in a model, the better interrelationships can be explained, possible effects estimated and possible courses predicted. In order to be able to make statements that are as reliable and solid as possible, it is essential to involve experts from different scientific disciplines.

The “First National Conference on Infectious Disease Modeling” is a newly established platform by MONID to create common structures for modeling competence in Germany and to further connect the different existing teams. The promotion of research on new as well as already endemic pathogens is an essential component to make the knowledge and resources generated during the pandemic permanently usable for the future. In this way, Germany will be better prepared for future pandemics and modeling will be strengthened as a central instrument of policy advice in the long term.

The conference will therefore in the future be held annually and facilitate the permanent networking of experts researching in the field. The focus will be on promoting scientific exchange between national and international experts and, of course, on promoting young researchers. Already in the first year, more than 100 participants are expected.

The keynote speakers include renowned international scientists such as: Mark Jit from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Frank Sandmann from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; Nikolas Popper from TU Vienna and Gergely Röst from the University of Szeged. In addition, the participating consortia of the BMBF-funded Modeling Network for Severe Infectious Diseases will present themselves and their research.

The conference language is English and the conference will be held as a face-to-face event.