In the world of vaccine monitoring, consistency is everything. For VAC4EU, a leading multi-stakeholder association dedicated to generating robust evidence on vaccine effects across Europe, this meant ensuring their network of experts - from statisticians to project managers - were all on the same page.
Their challenge was significant: how do you train a dispersed team of professionals across the continent on highly technical tools like the Common Data Model and collaborative platforms like GitHub? They needed a structured training solution, but building it required more than just technical know-how -it demanded a deep, collaborative partnership.
This network includes some of Europe’s most prestigious academic and research institutions, such as the University Medical Center Utrecht.
Imagine trying to conduct a symphony orchestra where every musician has a different sheet of music. That’s a bit like what happens when a large, dispersed network lacks a single, reliable source for training. VAC4EU’s experts -a crucial group of Principal Investigators, programmers, and project managers from member organizations- needed to use specific tools and follow precise workflows to ensure data quality and seamless collaboration. In a federated system where data remains local to each institution, standardized training is not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for maintaining data integrity and generating high-quality evidence.
They needed a training solution that was both professional and scalable, reflecting their own mission to foster scientific dialogue. VAC4EU didn’t just want a course; they wanted to build an academy.
Elevate partnered with VAC4EU to do just that. Our approach was built on a true collaboration of expertise. VAC4EU, with its unparalleled knowledge in vaccine monitoring, provided all the critical content – the work instructions, guidelines, and best practices. Elevate brought the didactical and technical expertise, translating that content into engaging e-learning modules and building a bespoke online learning environment to house them.
This wasn’t a one-and-done project. Our teams worked closely together, navigating technical requirements and content complexities to co-create a comprehensive program. The result is a dynamic, custom-branded online platform: the VAC4EU Academy.
The academy is a living project, with courses covering essential technical topics like:
As of today, the first six courses are fully ready, and we have two more in the final stages of development. Our partnership continues to thrive, with a clear goal to have ten courses ready by the end of 2025.
Our collaboration with the VAC4EU secretariat and its member organizations has been the cornerstone of this project’s success since it began in 2020. This is a relationship built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to excellence. We faced challenges together, aligning our technical processes with their content development cycles to ensure a continuous stream of new, relevant modules. This continuous partnership has allowed us to adapt and grow alongside VAC4EU’s evolving needs.
For Elevate, the ultimate testament to this collaboration isn’t just what we’ve built, but the long-term confidence our client has in us.
The VAC4EU Academy has transformed the way the organization trains its network. It has created a centralized hub for knowledge, ensuring every expert, from a programmer in Spain to a statistician at UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands, has access to the same high-quality, mandatory training. This has led to greater consistency in workflows, improved data quality, and a stronger sense of community among their members.
And the results speak for themselves. The collaboration has been so successful that VAC4EU made a significant decision: they extended their collaboration with Elevate until 2026. As they put it:
“Marking a successful collaboration and enduring trust, we are pleased to announce that Vaccine Monitoring Collaboration for Europe (VAC4EU) has decided to extend its collaboration with Elevate for the next years to come.”
Elevate thrives in a place where knowledge is cultivated, skills are honed, and collaboration creates a lasting impact. Our partnership with VAC4EU and its academic members is a perfect example of this in action.
For more information about VAC4EU, visit their website.
