The Royal Society's DELVE Initiative was convened in early 2020 to produce rapid research for on emerging issues relate to COVID-19. As a member of the action team, I contributed to work on mask use for the general public in slowing transmission, and the effect of the virus on ethnic minorities in the UK. This research fed directly to SAGE, the UK government's scientific advisory group for emergencies. The Royal Society is also the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.