VALIDATE Pump-priming Grants Round #5 Awarded

VALIDATE is pleased to announce that round #5 of our Pump-priming Grants have been awarded and will support 8 exciting research projects. For this round, VALIDATE is proud to partner with the Collaboration for Tuberculosis Vaccine Discovery (CTVD).

Pump-priming grants are available for projects of up to £50,000 (plus up to 15% indirect costs) via competitive application. Projects run for a maximum of 12 months and our hope is that they will lead to relevant and useful data for the field, or produce pilot data that will lead to a larger grant application to an external funder. 

You can find details of the Round #5 funded projects below:

Evaluation of BCGΔBCG1419c::ESAT6-PE25SS in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse models of TB
Led by Dr Ana Maria Valencia Hernandez (James Cook University, Australia), with Dr Socorro Miranda-Hernandez (James Cook University, Australia), Dr Guangzu Zhao (James Cook University, Australia), Dr Andreas Kupz (James Cook University, Australia), and Dr Mario Flores-Valdez (CIATEJ, Mexico)

Characterising the cytokines associated with trained innate immunity in BCG vaccinated non-human primates
Led by Dr Laura Sibley (UKHSA, UK)

Isolation of protective monoclonal antibodies recognising BCG and development of novel fusion protein vaccines against tuberculosis
Led by Assoc Prof Hao Li (China Agricultural University, China), with Dr Rachel Tanner (University of Oxford, UK)

Towards a T cell subset that can control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Led by Dr Munyaradzi Musvosvi (University of Cape Town, South Africa)

Towards a better TB vaccine: understanding improved local immune control by mucosal BCG vaccination
Led by Dr Paula Niewold (LUMC, The Netherlands), with Dr Frank Verreck (BPRC, The Netherlands)

Alvacc: A human in vitro alveolus model to study aerogenic TB vaccine binding and translocation
Led by Dr Diane Lee (University of Surrey, UK), with Prof Mark Chambers (University of Surrey, UK) and Prof Rajko Reljic (SGUL, UK)

Modulation of trained immunity via intravenous administration of Bacille Calmette-Guerin in a murine model
Led by Dr Margaret Nolan (Stellenbosch University, South Africa), with Dr Nastassja Kriel (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)

Testing a novel, self-adjuvanting mucosal vaccine candidate for TB in the mouse model of infection
Led by Dr Andy Tran (SGUL, UK), with Prof Andrea Cooper (University of Leicester, UK) and Prof Rajko Reljic (SGUL, UK)

Published 19 April 2022