Preamble
The second workshop was a follow-up of the first one held in Harare, Zimbabwe, 12-15 March 2001) in which the scope, objectives and action plans for the network were discussed and agreed upon. The report of the first Workshop was presented to the Pathogenesis and Applied Genomics committee of TDR, which resulted in expression of financial support to the network.

Objective(s) and Rationale

It was recognized that morbidity and mortality due to various diseases continue to rise in DECs. There is therefore a need to develop tools that could be utilized for disease control. Currently, a lot of data has been generated from studies on various pathogen genome projects, the use of which has not been exploited. Utilization of this data lies in the hands of the network partners and is of major interest to funding agencies. Priority areas for utilization of genome data include identification of targets for drugs and diagnostics. Therefore promotion of data mining and application of genomics in tropical diseases control is top on TDR Basic and Strategic Research agenda.

The objectives of the Second Workshop therefore were: (1) to assess the progress made and identify constraints, if any, towards implementation of the action plans, one year after the launch of the network, (2) research funding and development of good proposals and (3) development of action plans for the period 2002/3.
Scope of interaction

It was noted from the background information of the participating scientists and institutions that the anticipated scope of interaction is large and covers important diseases that are of priority to TDR. These include malaria and tuberculosis; human african trypanosomiasis (HAT), chagas disease, leishmaniasis, filariasis, and schistosomiasis. Areas of research include: clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug resistance, vaccine development, molecular biology, molecular epidemiology, microbiology (medical), immunopathology, bioinformatics adaptive evolution and virology. Participants expressed a need to identify other donor agencies in addition to TDR to support their activities especially in post-graduate training and research and to ensure that network objectives are met. In this regard, the meeting agreed to develop a web page that would contain names, affiliations and areas of expertise of scientists interested in the promotion of the south-south collaboration in order to strengthen the existing links and facilitate formation of new ones.

Plan of Action 2002/3

A working group of 5 participants was selected to determine the way forward for the network. The group was also to establish the nature and define the scope of the courses to be undertaken. The courses were to be crosscutting, to cover as many projects and research areas as possible. Proposals for both courses should be submitted to PAG for evaluation in September 2002, when the committee meets to review proposals. Four proposals are under preparation for submission before the June 20, 2002 deadline.

During the development of the plan of action for the year 2002/2003, the following areas for were identified for focus:

1.Communication and Coordination
An organizational structure for the network was developed, consisting of a coordinator (Dr Bianca Zingales) and three regional reference contacts (Dr. Ikram Guizani for Africa, Dr. Rodrigo Correa-Oliveira for Latin America and Dr. Worachart Sirawaraporn for Asia). These regional coordinators are expected to develop their own regional structures to ensure that there is free flow of information at all levels within the network.

2.Research projects and network sustainability
For the network to be sustained, funds are required to successfully carry the planned activities. The level of interaction will be determined by the amount of activity that will include training. Funds will be sourced through development of projects. The following projects were therefore developed, with the assistance of the experts at the meeting, to be finalized for submission before the June 20, 2002 deadline:

Participants were introduced to other donor agencies in addition to TDR. These are summarized below:

Funding of research through Research Capacity Strengthening Programme of TDR (Dr Fabio Zicker, TDR)

Dr. Fabio Zicker briefed participants on the new strategy of the RCS. The TDR priority is to target R&D activities. Currently, R&D driven proposals receive 60% of total RCS budget. The network partners and individuals wishing to apply for funding should be familiar with the new strategy (framework) of RCS in TDR. There is new strategic emphasis for R&D-driven research for capacity strengthening both at individual and/or institutional level.

Other Sources of Grants for research and training (Dr Sara Melville and Prof Philip LoVerde)

Dr Sarah Melville and Prof Philip LoVerde introduced participants to the opportunities available within other funding agencies. The grants cover research and/or training and can be accessed through the Internet. Partnerships with the north may be necessary in order to qualify for the grants.

All information available on internet website: The Leverhulme Trust.

Fosters and promotes research with the aim of improving animal and human health.

For further information, visit the following website: welcome Trust

Proposal writing

Training in proposal writing was identified as an area that needed addressing if the network participants have to compete favorably for funds. The participants were taken through the elements of good proposal writing, paying attention to details in areas that are usually ignored but could determine whether your proposal gets funded or not. Attention was also drawn to ethical issues where animals and humans are to be used.

Important Websites:

http://nccam.nih.gov/nccam/fi/research/guidelines/firsttimers/index.html
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/ap-bettr.htm
http://nccam.nih.gov/nccam/fi/research/guidelines/firsttimers/quick-guide.html
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/pdf/howto.pdf
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/toolmain.htm
http://www.hsfp.org/how/content.htm

3. Training

The following courses were recommended; to be held in the year 2003: (1) two-hybrid course (Venue: ICIPE, Nairobi) and (2) advanced immunology course (Venue: to be determined). Proposals for both courses will be prepared and submitted to PAG for evaluation in September 2002 when the committee meets to review proposals. The proposed training workshop on immunology was discussed and comments made on areas for improvement before submission for consideration for funding.

Training in Bioinformatics

The establishment of regional bioinformatic centers and training activities was done following approval of a grant for Regional Bioinformatics training Centres by TDR after review of a proposal. The activities of the centres range from training to generation of data on various pathogens. Following the establishment of the centers in 4 developing countries (University of Sao Paolo, Brazil, University of Western Cape, South Africa, Mahidol University in Thailand) the training workshops were successfully organized with additional two planned for the rest of the year. These include:

RECOMMENDATIONS

Having discussed the key issues covered under the Plan of Action, the following recommendations were made:

     1) that genomic data mining be undertaken as a matter of priority, for use in the identification of targets for diagnostics and drugs in order to alleviate suffering of the affected populations.
     2) that training be one of the top priority areas of the south - south network in order to establish a critical mass of scientists for effective retrieval and use of the information for impact to be felt. However, training is expensive. Partners were encouraged to access, through Internet, various organizations offering fellowships. Network partners were also encouraged to be proactive in seeking funds for both research and training.
     3) that an effective organizational structure be developed for proper coordination and ease of information flow. This will ensure minimal delays in implementation of network activities.
     4) that a concerted effort be put into the development of good proposals to be supported by TDR, starting with the Committee on Pathogenesis and Applied Genomics. The deadline for multi-centre proposals is June 20, 2002. The awards will be up to US 70,000 per year per proposal. Proposals must be R&D driven and that other donors could also be approached for support. Sustainability of the network will depend on the commitment of partners to the development of competitive proposals.
     5) that a web page be developed as soon as possible so that other organizations are made aware of the South?South networkxs existence and its scope of activities. Scientists are encouraged to register on the SHARED database, which should have a flag for South-South collaboration.
     6) that the possibility of setting up a microarray facility that will offer training and be maintained to the highest standard should be investigated. A proposal should be developed and submitted to TDR for consideration for funding.

Date and venue of next meeting:

Last week of January 2003 in Cape Town South Africa, hosted by SANBI, assisted by Dr Ikram Guizani.