BOSTON, May 12, 2021 – WhenToTest.org announced today a new collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU) and Project N95 that will help organizations meet the challenge of safely remaining open or resuming physical operations, and easily acquire COVID-19 diagnostic tests in small or large quantities from approved, vetted suppliers. ASU College of Health Solutions’ Testing Commons program provides comprehensive information about COVID-19 tests worldwide; Project N95 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has served as a trusted source for vetted personal protective equipment.

Over the past six months, the Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology (CIMIT) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute for Data Systems and Society (MIT IDSS) developed WhenToTest.org with support from the National Institute of Health’s RADx Tech program. This online platform helps organizations determine how COVID-19 mitigation strategies can be most effectively combined with the latest testing approaches to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in their workplaces. Now, after users engage with the guidance on WhenToTest.org, they can easily connect to ASU’s ConnectToTest.org for a list of current EUA-approved tests and to Project N95’s online shop to buy tests from an initial set of manufacturers, as well as other supplies, to implement their testing programs.

"This partnership will make it much easier for schools and businesses to implement effective COVID-19 testing programs," said Nancy Gagliano, M.D., Implementation Lead, RADx Tech. "With WhenToTest.org providing evidence-based guidance on how to set up a testing program, ASU supplying in-depth information about EUA-approved tests, and Project N95 as a trusted resource to acquire COVID-19 diagnostic tests, organizations now have the end-to-end implementation guidance and supplies they need to reopen more safely."

Mara Aspinall, professor of practice at ASU’s College of Health Solutions, added: "Business leaders are trying to create and maintain a safe environment for their staff and customers. This collaboration will provide comprehensive guidance and resources to establish a sustainable COVID-19 testing program."

"This partnership is a timely response to the urgent problem of declining national testing rates," said John Click, chief of staff for Project N95. "We began our nonprofit with the question, ‘How can we help?’ and this innovative approach is an extremely effective way for us to continue to execute on our mission."

This project was funded in part by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, through the NIH RADx Initiative via grant #U54EB015408.

About WhenToTest.org: WhenToTest.org is an online platform that supports organizations to establish effective COVID-19 mitigation strategies. The platform contains an evidence-based modeling tool to help organizations determine their testing needs and a comprehensive set of educational resources. WhenToTest.org is a joint project between the Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology (CIMIT) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute for Data Systems and Society (MIT IDSS) with support from the National Institute of Health’s RADx Tech program.

About ASU’s College of Health Solutions: The College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University is dedicated to translating scientific health research and discovery into practical interventions. Its programs prepare students to address the challenges facing our populations to stay healthy, improve their health and manage chronic disease — all toward improving health outcomes. Programs are offered in behavioral health, biomedical informatics and biomedical diagnostics, kinesiology and exercise science, health care delivery, nutrition, population health, and speech and hearing science. The college’s online master of science in biomedical diagnostics degree is designed to address the role of diagnostics in clinical decision making. Graduates are prepared to make an impact in the health workforce and shift the focus of health from sickness to wellness, addressing the factors that enable populations to be and stay healthy.

About Project N95: Project N95 protects healthcare, essential workers, vulnerable communities and anyone who needs to be safe in their community by providing equitable access as quickly as possible to vetted personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 diagnostic tests. As the leading rapid response 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Project N95 has become the national clearinghouse for critical PPE. Visit projectn95.org to learn more.