The ZADIE project is a research initiative aimed at developing evidence-based approaches to initial teacher education in algebra, where the research team includes Aisling Twohill (DCU, CASTeL), Anna Steinweg (University of Bamburg, Germany) and Sharon McArdle (Cape Peninsula University of Technology). In 2019, we achieved mobility funding and worked collaboratively in Dublin, Cape Town and Bamburg to develop teaching materials and research instruments. We collected data in June 2019 and met in December 2019 in Bamburg to begin the analysis. We intended to meet in Cape Town in March 2020 to complete the analysis and begin writing up. Unfortunately, all plans were put on hold due to Covid and our collective increased workload resulted in progress stagnating on the project. When we were in a position to recommence, our existing funding sources had timed out and we had no way to translate the data collected from German students. The CASTeL funding allowed us to get past this hurdle, and gave us the catalyst to get back in touch more regularly, and to begin to move the research forward. Since achieving the funding, we have presented at a CASTeL research forum, and two conferences: SMEC in DCU, and ATEE in Riga. We have finalised teaching and research materials for publication, and we are completing two papers for submission to journals this semester.