VALIDATE Fellowships

Call 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.

VALIDATE is proud to partner with the Collaboration for Tuberculosis Vaccine Discovery (CTVD). 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 field.

To support VALIDATE's aims, three VALIDATE Fellowships will be available in this 2021 grant call (with funding taken up in 2022-2023). The VALIDATE Fellowships will fund two years’ independent scientific research, with the aim of producing initial/pilot data and a funding and experience track record that can be used by the Fellow to go on to obtain independent external funding and launch their career as a Principal Investigator and/or Group Leader.

The Fellow’s proposed research must be scientifically excellent, and fall within the VALIDATE remit. Please note that for this 2021 Fellowship call, only research focused on tuberculosis vaccine development is eligible. Any aspect of research that will accelerate development of an efficacious TB vaccine is eligible, including biological, physical and social sciences, and humanities.

Applicants must:

Be an Associate member of VALIDATE, and/or a post-doctoral scientist working on research directly related to TB vaccine development nominated by a CTVD member
Be a low/middle income country (LMIC) member (to be considered ‘LMIC’ you must be a national of an LMIC and be based in an LMIC country (although your nationality and current residency do not have to be for the same LMIC). A list of LMIC countries can be found here; all listed countries are eligible.)
Not have received a prior VALIDATE Fellowship

The VALIDATE Fellowships cover costs for 24 months’ salary and consumables for the Fellow, up to a total maximum of £100,000 (plus up to 15% indirect costs). Relevant training costs, or travel costs to visit essential collaborators may be included within the consumables budget. Fellows will become a member of the VALIDATE Network Management Board to gain Board experience.

Fellowships are via competitive application to the VALIDATE Network Management Board (NMB).

We strongly advise you to get input and seek help/guidance from more experienced Senior Scientists in your institute to review, and help you improve, your application prior to your submission. Ensure your application is focused, has clear objectives that are achievable within the timeframe, and that your hypothesis and methods are scientifically rigorous. You may need Institution/finance approval sign off for your application so ensure you leave plenty of time to obtain this prior to the call deadline.

The VALIDATE Fellowship call is now closed. Please contact Network Manager Sam Vermaak (samantha.vermaak@ndm.ox.ac.uk) with any queries about the grant call.

List of LMIC countries

Fellowship call deadlines

Round 2 (closed)

Call opens: 20 Sept 2021

Call closes: 15 Nov 2021 (4pm UK time)

NMB review meeting: Dec 2021

Interview: 15 Dec 2021

Fellowships start: Jan 2022

Round 1 (closed and awarded)

Call opens: 5 February 2018

Call closes: 30 April 2018 (4pm UK time)

NMB review meeting: June/July 2018

Interview: July/Aug 2018

Fellowships start: Sept/Oct 2018

VALIDATE Fellowships