Saudi Arabia takes the initiative on MERS research

A coronavirus virion schematic.
IanM, Virology Down Under.

In what many might describe as well overdue, an independent Saudi Arabian scientific organization, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), has called for grant proposals to conduct research on coronaviruses (CoVs). 

The Arab News reports that several areas of research will be considered, as well as CoVs.