The University of Oxford has been a key player in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the generous support of the E P A Cephalosporin Fund, an innovative project in contemporary collecting has been created to capture this major research effort. The History of Science Museum’s new Collecting COVID Curator is leading on this collaborative initiative with the Bodleian Libraries. Working with divisional colleagues – from the Medical Sciences and the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Divisions in particular – the project will ensure that the stories, artefacts and ephemera of the world-leading research work undertaken by Oxford scientists are recorded and preserved to support future science education and research, and shared widely with public audiences both onsite and online.