ANTI-VeC Network Funding Opportunities
The Network has provided an opportunity to stimulate new lines of research and new collaborations, increase interactions in these emerging fields, and share experiences/expertise - from lab techniques to best practice in running field trials and to expand the links between UK scientists and excellent researchers based in disease-endemic countries.
ANTI-VeC has funded several initiatives including:
- pump-priming grants (up to £100,000)
- small survey grants (up to £40,000)
- training and collaboration awards (up to £10,000)
- international conference bursaries (up to £2,000)
- travel bursaries to attend ANTI-VeC meetings (up to £1,500)
Call for Abstracts and Travel Bursaries: ANTI-VeC Network Meeting 2023, Deadline: 25 November 2022 (17:00 GMT)
In November 2022, the ANTI-VeC Network announced a call for applications for abstracts and travel bursaries for eligible network members to present their work at the ANTI-VeC Network Meeting: Genetic and Symbiont-based Control Approaches for Vector Control. This meeting will take place in Kilifi, Kenya from 26-28th February 2023.
All applications must be within the scope of the ANTI-VeC network and its remit.
To achive this, the call for abstracts for talks and posters was open to:
- Registered PhD students and postdoctoral level staff at any level, based anywhere in the world.
All applicants must apply to become a network member if not already one. Membership is open to all those with an interest in the field and the network is free-of-charge to join via the ANTI-VeC website.
ANTI-VeC will cover registration, accommodation and all meals during the meeting at the venue in Kilifi. This will be arranged for all accepted presenters (regardless of whether a travel bursary is applied for or not).
DEADLINES
- Abstract / Bursary Application submission deadline: 25 November 2022, 17:00 GMT
- Chosen participants will be notified by: 9 December 2022
SELECTION CRITERIA
All applicants are requested to either give a short talk or present a poster. Applicants are requested to indicate their preference for a short talk or poster. Papers will be selected for short talks or poster presentations by the ANTI-VeC Network Meeting Organising Committee, based on scientific merit, and fit with the scope of the network and its remit.
TRAVEL BURSARIES (UP TO £1,500)
As part of the abstract submission process, eligible candidates could submit an application for a travel bursary (up to £1,500) if they require funding in order to attend.
Eligible candidates include:
- Registered PhD students in DAC-list countries
- All other postdoctoral level staff at any level based in the UK or DAC-list countries
Please refer to the DAC list of ODA recipient countries for information.
Please refer to the Abstract and Bursary Application Guidance document for further information.
CLOSED: ANTI-VeC Pump-Priming Funding
Below are the successful awardees of our pump-priming funding call. Following a highly competitive two-stage review process, we selected 11 projects which are aligned to the key themes of the Network, relating to vector-pathogen interactions, novel symbionts and transmission blocking, gene drive systems, mosquito behaviour, as well as social sciences and stakeholder engagement to deliver information about genetic control measures.
We received 34 expressions of interest at the first stage and the overall quality of the proposals received was very high.
The 11 projects selected for funding were:
| Project Title | Investigators / Organisations | Award Value |
| The impact of feeding method on Anopheles mosquito midgut microbiota and P. falciparum infection rates |
|
£57,799 |
| AnDAPT - Lab adaptation of Anopheles gambiae s.s. |
|
£55,991 |
| Roles of insect-specific flaviviruses and immune priming in arbovirus transmission blocking in mosquitoes |
|
£100,000 |
| A Novel Malaria Transmission Blocking Strategy: Microsporidian Symbionts of Anopheles Mosquitoes |
|
£99,928 |
| Targeted disruption of the steroid hormone inactivation pathway in Anopheles mosquitoes for malaria control |
|
£95,400 |
| Determining heritable microbe incidence, prevalence and impact in sandfly vector species |
|
£99,952 |
| Functional genetics tools for Anopheles funestus: opening the door to genetic control and to an understanding of its vector competence (FunFuncGen) |
|
£97,592 |
| Should tsetse symbiont, S. glossinidius, be engineered to control African Trypanosomiasis |
|
£98,334 |
| Effects of co-infection of Wolbachia and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium pingshaense in Aedes aegypti |
|
£70,800 |
| Into the Wild: New Models for Community Engagement with Mosquito Releases |
|
£83,847 |
| In the eye of the swarm: Mapping the acoustic landscape of mosquito disease vectors |
|
£99,864 |
Further information on each of these projects is available here.
CLOSED: ANTI-VeC African Anopheles Symbiont Survey
At the beginning of 2021, the ANTI-VeC Network announced a call for applications to undertake a survey of Microsporidia MB diversity and prevalence in An. gambiae s.l. and An. funestus populations across Africa.
Awards were to the maximum value of £40,000 each and up to 12 months duration.
Funding has been made available by the Open Philanthropy Project.
Timescales
- Application deadline: 31st March 2021
- Application outcome: 30th April 2021
Call Summary
The discovery of Microsporidia MB in Anopheles arabiensis / gambiae, and that these symbionts can completely block transmission of Plasmodium falciparum1, provides opportunities for developing novel integrated malaria control approaches. The funding is to undertake a survey of Microsporidia MB diversity and prevalence in An. gambiae s.l. and An. funestus populations across Africa. For this purpose small grants were awarded for screening Anopheles colonies and field-collected samples (both larvae and adults) using PCR/qPCR assays for Microsporidia MB, using standardised methodologies. Collections at regular intervals cover at least two seasons and different larval site ecotypes, with temperature and rainfall to be recorded from collection sites. Microsporidia MB strain diversity patterns will then be determined by genome sequencing at KEMRI-Wellcome in Kenya (the costs of which will be covered separately). Genome analysis training is available for participants if needed. In addition to the investigation of Microsporidia MB prevalence and diversity, applicants may have proposed additional experiments investigating the biology of Microsporidia MB.
Areas of potential interest include (but are not limited to);
a) Colonization of lines potentially novel Microsporidia MB strains to confirm vertical transmission and / or other characteristics.
b) Interactions with other symbionts (e.g. Wolbachia) or intestinal microbiome
- Herren JK et al. (2020) A microsporidian impairs Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Anopheles arabiensis Nat Comms 11:2187.
Eligibility
Funding was available to ANTI-VeC network members.
Principal Investigators: the application must be led by an Africa-based Principal Investigator with a contract that lasts at least up to the proposed end date of the project.
Early Career Researchers (ECR) were encouraged to apply.
Principal Investigators must be resident in the country in sub-Saharan Africa specified on the application form for the duration of the proposed project and must be based in a recognised higher education institution, or in a ‘not-for profit’ research intensive organisation which can demonstrate compliance with the following:
- Research Capacity and Capability: in-house capacity in terms of staff and infrastructure to support and lead excellent research programmes.
- Governance and Financial Stability: robust assurance around managing and accounting for grant funding, demonstrate good governance and control functions including policies and approaches to control risk and mitigate fraud and corruption.
Early career researchers must be able to demonstrate that they have:
- a track record of excellent research
- the support of their institution
- the resources and facilities to conduct the project
Co-Investigators: these are not required to be Africa-based. Otherwise, all Co-Investigators must satisfy the same criteria (outlined above) as Principal Investigators.
Useful Resources
List of LMICs (OECD DAC List)
https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm
Contact
Michelle Connolly, Network Manager
Michelle.Connolly@glasgow.ac.uk
anti-vec-network@glasgow.ac.uk
CLOSED: ANTI-VeC Training and Collaboration Awards
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ANTI-VeC have revised the training scheme to support online training and collaboration in genetic and symbiont vector control strategies and related fields.
In 2020, the ANTI-VeC Network announced a call for applications for Training and Collaboration Awards, up to the maximum value of £10,000 each, for training and short projects ranging from 2 weeks to 3 months duration. The budget requested should reflect the duration and scope of the training.
All projects must be within the scope of the ANTI-VeC network and its remit. Further information on this can be found on our website www.anti-vec.net
The Network aims to encourage Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and career progression amongst its members. These awards will help increase research capacity by giving researchers a broader outlook and range of skills and experience.
Awards were open to:
- Undertake online training and transfer of knowledge, skills, and techniques
- Undertake online collaboration between members’ groups in UK and OECD DAC-list countries
- Participate in online courses or workshops
The ANTI-VeC Network focuses on the development of genetic / symbiont vector control strategies and related fields. This includes:
- suppression and replacement / transmission blocking approaches
- vector-pathogen/symbiont interactions and line creation
- symbiont discovery
- underlying vector biology relevant to genetic intervention
- relevant aspects of vector ecology and behaviour
- social science of community acceptance
- mathematical / economic modelling
All applications must be within the scope of the ANTI-VeC network and its remit.
Timescales
- Application deadline: 30th June 2020
- Application outcome: 31st July 2020
- Completion date for awards: 30th November 2020
Funding was available to early career ANTI-VeC network members based for work in UK or DAC-list countries. Applicants must apply to become a network member if not already one. Membership is open to all those with an interest in the field and the network is free-of-charge to join via the Join us section.
Applications were welcome from:
- Registered PhD students based for work in DAC-list countries
- Early career researchers including post-docs and lecturer level staff based for work in the UK or DAC-list countries
Please refer to the DAC list of ODA recipient countries for LMIC eligibility: https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm
Further Information and Application Form
A list of reference documents is provided below for download.
ANTI-VeC Training and Collaboration Awards Application Guidance 2020
Useful resources
OECD DAC List countries
https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm
Contact
Michelle Connolly, Network Manager
Testimonials from ANTI-VeC Training & Technology / Knowledge Exchange Visit Awardees
Roger Sanou, IRSS Burkina Faso
Training on machine learning analysis to interpret infrared spectra for Mosquito trait prediction
"This award allowed me to attend the "machine learning" training in Glasgow. I much appreciated the training in regards of what I learnt in terms of analysing my data, exploiting my results to identify and predict the age and the species and later the other traits of malaria mosquitoes.
In addition, it was a great opportunity for me to establish partnership with other scientists. Thanks to the organising team for his support".
ANTI-VeC Travel Bursaries June 2019 London Meeting Reimbursement
Please see the following updated documents regarding reimbursement of Travel Bursary Awards for UK Annual Meeting in London, June 2019
Other documents required for reimbursement will be emailed to recipeints prior to the Meeting.
30 May 2019
Testimonials from ANTI-VeC Travel Bursary Awardees
Here are some testimonials from the Travel Bursary Recipients who attended the Anti-VeC Annual Meeting in July 2018.
Ms Assétou Dionégué Diarra, ICER Mali
This first meeting of ANTI-VeC was a very nice experience. The organising team were competent.
The trip to Glasgow was well organised and the information was clear. Congratulations to the whole team.
Mr Sawdetuo Aristide Hien, IRSS Burkina Faso
I would like to thank you for allowing me to participate in this very informative conference and also for allowing me to meet several eminent personalities from the world of science in general and my specialty (Medical Entomology) in particular! May this type of conference be ongoing and ongoing to enable young researchers like us to learn new knowledge. I thank all staff and all the participants of this conference.
Mr Magellan Tchouakui, LSTM/CRID Cameroon
The ANTI-VeC meeting of July 2018 was a great opportunity for collaboration and very well organised.
Mr Godfrey Nattoh, PAUSTI/JKUAT Kenya
There were interesting presentations; I got enthused by the comments too. I acquired new insights that has shaped my approach in science. Thank you for the invite, providing a travel grant, and accepting my poster.
Ms Nidya Alexandra Segura Guerrero, Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia
The ANTI-Vec meeting allowed me to meet people from different continents sharing the same aim. I as a researcher will definitely take advantage of the future opportunities that the network offers.
CLOSED: ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursaries - 7th PAMCA Annual Conference
** Call closed - the 7th PAMCA Annual Conference was postponed to 2021**
Grants are available for international conference bursaries of up to £2,000, via competitive application to the Network Executive Committee.
Our conference bursaries are intended to support attendance at leading international conferences. Funds are specifically available to support network members presenting work at scientific conferennces.
This specific call is for applications for bursaries to attend the 7th PAMCA Annual Conference, 21-23 September 2020, Accra, Ghana.
Timescales
- PAMCA Abstract submission deadline: 31st May 2020
- ANTI-VeC bursary application deadline: 5th June 2020
- ANTI-VeC bursary application outcome: by 31st July 2020
Funding was available to early career ANTI-VeC network members based for work in UK or DAC-list countries. Applicants must apply to become a network member if not already one. Membership is open to all those with an interest in the field and the network is free-of-charge to join via the join section.
Applications were welcome from:
- Registered PhD students from DAC-list countries
- Early career researchers including post-docs and lecturer level staff staff from UK or DAC-list countries
Applicants must also indicate on the application form if they have submitted an abstract for an oral or poster presentation to PAMCA, and include the title and abstract text.
Please refer to the DAC list of ODA recipient countries for LMIC eligibility.
Please read the Application Guidance document providing further information. It provides important information on the eligibility of applicants and costs.
A list of reference documents are provided below for download.
The completed application form should be submitted as a PDF file to anti-vec-network@glasgow.ac.uk
Further information
The following documents are available to view and download:
ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursary Application Guidelines - PAMCA 2020
ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursary Application Form - PAMCA 2020
Useful resources
CLOSED: ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursaries - 6th PAMCA Annual Conference
Grants are available for international conference bursaries of up to £2,000, via competitive application to the Network Executive Committee.
Our conference bursaries are intended to support attendance at leading international conferences. Funds are specifically available to support network members presenting work at scientific conferennces.
This specific call was for applications for bursaries to attend the 6th PAMCA Annual Conference, 23-25 September 2019, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Timescales
- Abstract submission deadline to PAMCA: 15th June 2019
- ANTI-VeC bursary application deadline: 21st July 2019
- Notification of funding: by 1st August 2019
Funding was available to early career ANTI-VeC network members based for work in UK or DAC-list countries. Applicants must apply to become a network member if not already one. Membership is open to all those with an interest in the field and the network is free-of-charge to join via the Join us section.
Applications were welcome from:
- Registered PhD students from DAC-list countries
- Early career researchers including post-docs and lecturer level staff staff from UK or DAC-list countries
Please refer to the DAC list of ODA recipient countries for LMIC eligibility: https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm
A list of reference documents are provided below for download.
Further information
The following documents are available to view and download:
ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursary Application Guidance - PAMCA
ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursary Application Form - PAMCA
Useful resources
OECD DAC List countries
https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm
CLOSED: ANTI-VeC International Conference Bursaries - Mosquito Sensory Biology Symposium
Grants were available for international conference bursaries of up to £2,500, via competitive application to the Network Executive Committee.
Our conference bursaries are intended to support attendance at leading international conferences. Funds are specifically available to support network members presenting work at scientific conferennces.
This specific call was for applications for bursaries to attend the Mosquito Sensory Biology Symposium, 6-8 September 2019, University College London, UK.
Timescales
- Abstract submission deadline to Joerg Albert, joerg.albert@ucl.ac.uk and Judy Bagi, j.bagi@ucl.ac.uk: 2nd August 2019
- ANTI-VeC bursary application deadline: 2nd August 2019
- Notification of funding: by 12th August 2019
Funding was available to early career ANTI-VeC network members based for work in UK or DAC-list countries. Applicants must apply to become a network member if not already one. Membership is open to all those with an interest in the field and the network is free-of-charge to join via the join section.
Applications were welcome from:
- Registered PhD students from DAC-list countries
- Early career researchers including post-docs and lecturer level staff staff from UK or DAC-list countries
Please refer to the DAC list of ODA recipient countries for LMIC eligibility: https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm
A list of reference documents are provided below for download.
Further information
The following documents are available to view and download:
Mosquito Sensory Biology Application Guidance
Mosquito Sensory Biology Application Form
Useful resources
OECD DAC List countries
https://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm