Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Boston Children's Hospital received a $160,609 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective June 5, 2026, through May 31, 2028. The project, titled "Targeting Post-Fusion Influenza Hemagglutinin to Make a Better Flu Vaccine," addresses the significant global public health burden of influenza, which causes up to 650,000 deaths annually. The research aims to improve seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness by developing novel vaccine approaches that target post-fusion hemagglutinin, thereby addressing the limitation of current vaccines' reduced effectiveness due to antigenic mismatches between vaccine formulations and circulating influenza strains.

The project will be conducted at Boston Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, leveraging the institution's substantial expertise in infectious disease research and vaccine development. As a leading pediatric research facility affiliated with Harvard Medical School, the hospital brings established capacity for translational science and clinical research to advance understanding of influenza immunology and vaccine design, with the ultimate objective of delivering improved protective vaccines against seasonal and potentially pandemic influenza threats.