DISCONTOOLS will provide a mechanism for focusing and prioritising research that ultimately delivers new and improved vaccines, pharmaceuticals and diagnostic tests. The project will make a major contribution to the objectives of the relevant FP7 call. There are three complimentary work strands backed up by the development of a comprehensive communication strategy. The first strand will provide a validated database and peer reviewed methodology in order to prioritise infectious animal diseases. Gap analysis is the second strand and will be carried out to identify those areas where information and knowledge of the disease is deficient and where current tools are lacking, inadequate or could be improved. Information will be collected in a standard format for validation and entry into a specific disease database. A detailed analysis will then be carried out for each of the priority diseases to identify gaps in key areas. The third strand is to identify current and new technological tools that may be used to improve the ability to control infectious animal diseases. The work will include review of existing arrangements by stakeholders and the development of methodologies to identify and evaluate new technology. Effective identification and technology transfer is essential if new tools for disease control are to be developed One of the main features of the project is the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders who will actively participate in the governance of the project. This will ensure that the stakeholders involved from research through to delivery of new control tools will be able to contribute to the project. Dissemination of information from all three strands of work will be essential if the project is to be successful. This will be achieved through the communication strategy which will include Interactive web systems and databases as an integral part of the project.