Generating evidence for decision-making on the use of the oral cholera vaccine

This funding call seeks to generate evidence for decision-making on the use of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV), with a focus on real-world impact and preparing for future preventative vaccination campaigns. Successful teams will support and engage with policymakers and/or implementing partners who are responsible for preventing and controlling cholera.

Scheme at a glance 

Career stage:
Early-career researcher, Established researcher, Leading a research programme, Mid-career researcher, Postdoctoral research, Returning to research
Where your administering organisation is based:
Anywhere in the world (apart from mainland China)
Level of funding:

Up to £2.5 million

Duration of funding:

Up to 5 years

Next deadline

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If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, we can support you with the application process.

About this call 

Cholera is a disease which, if not controlled early and ideally prevented, can lead to large outbreaks and epidemics. Wellcome wants to fund research and support policy-making that will help affected communities prevent infectious diseases from escalating out of control now and in the future.

The tools to control and prevent cholera exist: surveillance; safe water, sanitation and hygiene; vaccines; and case management but resources are limited and so more evidence is needed to help decision-makers decide where and how to deploy resources to the greatest effect. The oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is a vital part of the toolkit to both react to and prevent outbreaks, but there is a severely constrained supply, and effectiveness can vary across different populations and settings.

The Cholera Roadmap Research Agenda, launched in 2021 by the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) with support from Wellcome, outlines many important priorities for research. This funding call aims to generate more evidence on three prioritised and connected areas:

  • defining hotspots to help target OCV campaigns,
  • the impact of different OCV dosing schedules: one dose, two dose and different dose intervals, and
  • the subsequent duration of protection provided according to age and pre-existing immunity.

Given the importance of open and timely data sharing for evidence-informed responses to outbreak diseases, successful applicants will be required to share research findings and data relevant to any cholera outbreak or cholera vaccination campaign regularly during the lifetime of the grant and as widely as possible. This is in addition to Wellcome’s standard grant conditions and policies on publication and open access.

About your proposal 

Eligibility and suitability 

What we offer 

How to apply 

Key dates 

You must submit your application by 17:00 (BST) on 6 July 2023. We don’t accept late applications.

Open to applications

  1. Tell us where your research would be based

    21 April 2023Email us
  2. Application deadline

    6 July 2023
  3. Panel meeting

    August/September 2023
  4. Decision

    End of September 2023

Contact us 

If you are interested in applying, please email e.preparedness@wellcome.org with the name of the country(ies) where your proposed research study would be located.

If you have a question about your proposal or the remit of the funding call, contact us at e.preparedness@wellcome.org. We do not answer questions on the competitiveness of proposals.

If you have a question about eligibility, what we offer, or completing the application form, send our Funding Information Advisers a message.