**Call open**
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 a focus on Mycobacteria, Leishmania spp, and Burkholderia pseudomallei. VALIDATE also aims to facilitate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and career progression amongst its members.
Call Summary
To support these aims, Early Career Researcher training grants are available of up to £3,500 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.
Eligibility
The proposed training opportunity must fall within the VALIDATE scientific remit, focusing on one of VALIDATE’s 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.
Applicants must be an Associate member of VALIDATE (working on any of VALIDATE's pathogens). We particularly welcome applications from researchers based in LMICs.
Members may be awarded (and take up) a maximum of two VALIDATE training grants.
Writing your Application
Applications will be reviewed at the next Network Management Board meeting (held every two months).
Before you begin writing your application, please read both the Application Guidance document (linked below) and the VALIDATE Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). These resources contain important information to help you prepare a strong and eligible submission.
Once ready, please upload your completed application form and all required supporting documents via the Training Grant Submission Portal, located further down on this page.
Starting from September 2025, any applications that are incorrect, incomplete, outside the remit, or otherwise ineligible will be automatically rejected. You may amend your submitted application by replying to the confirmation of receipt email—up until the internal deadline ahead on the NMB meeting. After the deadline, no appeals will be accepted and no additional documents can be submitted.
If you have any questions about the form or the application process, please contact the VALIDATE Team at VALIDATE@ndm.ox.ac.uk.
You can read about previous awardees here.
Application Documents
Training Grant Call Application Form
Training Grant Call Guidance document
List of LMICs (all countries listed on this document count as 'LMIC', excluding China & India)
Call deadlines
Round 16 is open throughout 2025, with applications reviewed at the next Network Management Board meeting (held every other month).
https://airtable.com/embed/appu2AvFEUDgfAUwK/pagxt5zNSeEvKELx6/form
Previous (closed) calls
Round 15 (all VALIDATE pathogens) - 1 Dec 2023 (closed and awarded)
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)
