OC 8259 THE VALIDATE NETWORK: EXPLOITING SYNERGIES BETWEEN COMPLEX INTRACELLULAR NEGLECTED PATHOGENS TO EXPEDITE VACCINE R&D FOR TUBERCULOSIS, LEISHMANIASIS, LEPROSY AND MELIOIDOSIS

BackgroundThe VALIDATE ‘VAccine deveLopment for complex Intracellular neglecteD pAThogEns’ Network is a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Network, funded by the UK MRC and BBSRC and led by the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It aims to accelerate vaccine development for four intracellular pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Leishmania spp, Mycobacterium leprae and Burkholderia pseudomallei, by creating a network of scientists from around the world in an interactive community, sharing information, learning from synergies and differences, and forming new collaborations promoting cross-disciplinary, cross-pathogen, and cross-continent research.MembershipCurrently VALIDATE has 125 members from 66 institutes in 28 countries, including world leading scientists, post-doctoral researchers, postgraduate students, and interested lay members from academia, governmental agencies, industry, and non-profits.ActivitiesVALIDATE has four activity streams: 1) providing funding to its members, including pump-priming grants for excellent research, training grants for early career researchers, and fellowships to transition post-doctoral researchers to independence, 2) a members’ data-sharing portal, to encourage real-time sharing of data, catalysing the application of insights from one field into another, with an in-house Research Data Analyst working on cross-pathogen applications, 3) providing CPD opportunities for our members, including workshops, seminars and a mentoring scheme, and 4) speeding the „dissemination of useful and relevant information via a hub website (www.validate-network.org) and social media (@NetworkValidate) where our members can easily find information about new research, relevant funding calls, events, and training, mentoring and other opportunities. Interested parties can read about our funded work, while a searchable directory of members on our website and a free annual meeting facilitates the formation of new collaborations.VALIDATE is free to join and has an inclusive membership. This network would be of interest to researchers at the EDCTP Forum working on vaccine development for tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, leprosy and melioidosis.