Integration Activities

Approximately 50% of Med-Vet-Net funds is for integrationactivities: administration, project management andcommunications.

Administration

The Administration Bureau, based at French Food Agency (AFSSA)in , are responsible for Workpackage 1 - the administrative andfinancial aspects of the Network. They have established proceduresmaking network administration more flexible and efficient and haveinitiated studies on the options for legal status to ensuresustainability of the Network.

Project Management

The Project Management team, based at the VeterinaryLaboratories Agency (VLA) in the , are responsible for Workpackage2 - the overall project management of the Network which includesall non-financial planning, monitoring, quality assurance andreporting. This Workpackage specifically includes scientificco-ordination and strategic planning, development of researchskills and expertise, inter-Network scientific communications andthe expansion and extension of the Network by externalcollaboration

Development of research skills and expertise is an importantobjective of Med-Vet-Net. This capacity building has been achievedthrough training courses, workshops and short-term missions.Workshops that have been run so far have trained over 40Med-Vet-Net and about 70 external scientists. Fourteen youngscientists have undertaken training in other partner laboratoriesas part of the short-term mission programme. Med-Vet-Net has alsoprovided funding for four PhD students.

Communications

The Communications Unit, based at the Society for AppliedMicrobiology (SfAM) in , is responsible for Workpackage 3 - theSpreading of Excellence both within and outside the Network.

The Communication Unit is responsible for:

• a private website for scientists to share news, achievements,and reports and collaborate online;
• an external website with information for the public and otherstakeholders (www.medvetnet.org);
• a monthly newsletter and e-bulletin;
• fact sheets on zoonoses;
• stories on the network´s research and results;
• strategies for advising our various stakeholders (politicians,media journalists, consumers, general public);
• a "Science Communication Internship" which trains scientistsfrom the partner institutes in communication skills, includingwriting, communicating with the media and other stakeholders,publications, presentation skills and web skills.