UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE

Their core work

The University of Sierra Leone is the national higher education institution based in Freetown, and its H2020 work has centered on hosting clinical research for Ebola vaccine development. Sitting at the epicentre of the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, the university provides something that European and North American partners cannot: local medical staff, access to affected populations, and on-the-ground clinical trial capacity in an Ebola-endemic setting. Their contribution to EBOVAC1 and EBOVAC3 places them as a frontline field research partner for one of the largest prophylactic vaccine programmes in recent EU history. For consortia in global health or epidemic preparedness, they are a rare African clinical site with demonstrated operational experience.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Between 2014 and 2018 the university was embedded in early-stage heterologous prime-boost Ebola vaccine clinical development through EBOVAC1, reflecting the immediate EU response to the West African outbreak. From 2018 onward the focus shifted with EBOVAC3 toward bringing that vaccine through to regulatory licensure, a later-stage approval and roll-out phase. The trajectory is consistent: a single vaccine lineage carried from clinical evaluation to market authorisation, with the university retained as the local clinical partner throughout.

They are moving from trial execution toward supporting real-world deployment and regulatory approval of Ebola vaccines, making them a strong partner for future epidemic preparedness and vaccine roll-out projects in West Africa.

How they like to work

They participate as a partner rather than a coordinator, joining large EU-led consortia built around pharma and European research institutions. Their repeat presence in both EBOVAC1 and EBOVAC3 with overlapping partners suggests loyalty to a long-running consortium rather than a hub role with many diverse collaborators. Working with them means plugging into an established West African clinical trial capacity rather than expecting them to design or lead the programme.

Collaborated with 10 unique partners across 6 countries, with a clearly European-led consortium centred on Ebola vaccine R&D. Their network is narrow but high-value, anchored to the EBOVAC family of projects.

What sets them apart

Very few H2020-funded universities are based in Ebola-endemic West Africa, and fewer still have sustained multi-year clinical trial engagement with EU pharma partners. The University of Sierra Leone offers what European and global partners structurally cannot replicate: local medical infrastructure, patient access, and operational credibility in a priority disease geography. For any project needing a trusted West African clinical site for infectious disease research, the shortlist is very short.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EBOVAC1
  Their largest engagement at EUR 9.1 million, running 2014-2021, covering the original heterologous prime-boost Ebola vaccine clinical development.
• EBOVAC3
  A follow-on EUR 4.9 million project (2018-2024) specifically scoped to carry the Ebola vaccine through to regulatory licensure.