**Round 14 is now closed**
The VALIDATE Network aims to accelerate vaccine research and development for complex intracellular pathogens that cause diseases significant to low and middle-income countries (LMIC), with an initial focus on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Leishmania spp, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Mycobacterium leprae. VALIDATE also aims to facilitate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and career progression amongst its members.
To support these aims, Early Career Researcher training grants are available of up to £3500 to help researchers take advantage of training opportunities that will contribute to their CPD. This can include (but is not limited to): attendance at courses or workshops, laboratory exchanges, and work shadowing. Attendance at an international conference to present a talk or poster is also eligible for LMIC members only (general travel to attend conferences is not supported in this fund; travel to the VALIDATE Network Annual Meeting is funded elsewhere). For laboratory exchanges, we encourage you to maximise the outputs of your visit to that laboratory, for example by visiting other relevant VALIDATE researchers in that country (to increase your network of contacts and discuss future collaboration opportunities), or by giving a talk to your host laboratory about your research during your visit.
The proposed training opportunity must fall within the VALIDATE scientific remit, focusing on one of VALIDATE’s four priority pathogens. Any aspect of research that will accelerate development of efficacious vaccines for these pathogens is eligible, including biological, physical and social sciences, and humanities.
VALIDATE is proud to partner with the Collaboration for Tuberculosis Vaccine Discovery (CTVD), whose members can also apply for a VALIDATE training grant. CTVD is an international network of scientists and experts dedicated to fostering innovation, cooperation, and collaboration in the up-stream TB vaccine discovery, translational research and development space. CTVD serves as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s major mechanism for enhancing collaboration in the TB field.
Applicants must be an Associate member of VALIDATE (working on any of VALIDATE's pathogens), or a post-doctoral scientist working on research directly related to TB vaccine development nominated by a CTVD member. We particularly welcome applications from researchers based in LMICs.
Please ensure you read our application guidance document (below) before you begin writing your application. Please submit your application form and associated documents as one pdf to the VALIDATE Network Manager at VALIDATE@ndm.ox.ac.uk. Do contact the Network Manager at the same address with any queries about the form or the application process.
You can read about previous awardees here.
Application Documents
List of LMICs (all countries listed on this document count as 'LMIC')
Call deadlines
Round 15 will open later in 2023
Previous (closed) calls
Round 14 (all VALIDATE pathogens) - 31 Mar 2023 (closed and awarded)
Round 13 (TB only) - 20 Jun 2022 (closed and awarded)
Round 12 (TB only) - 7 March 2022 (closed and awarded)
Round 11 - 18 February 2021 (closed and awarded)
Round 10 - 13 October 2020 (closed and awarded)
Round 9 - 17 June 2020 (closed and awarded)
Round 8 - 24 February 2020 (closed and awarded)
Round 7 - 22 October 2019 (closed and awarded)
Round 6 - 24 June 2019 (closed and awarded)
Round 5 - 12 February 2019 (closed and awarded)
Round 4 - 29 October 2018 (closed and awarded)
Round 3 - 14 June 2018 (closed and awarded)
Round 2 - 14 February 2018 (closed and awarded)
Round 1 - 31 October 2017 (closed and awarded)