Federal Grant Award Summary

Award Details: Weill Medical College of Cornell University received a $3.78 million Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded May 6, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2031.

Products and Services: This multi-institutional research initiative, led by Principal Investigator John P. Moore (Weill Cornell Medicine) and Co-Principal Investigator Ian A. Wilson (The Scripps Research Institute), with performance sites including Academic University Medical Centers in Amsterdam, focuses on the development and optimization of soluble, cleaved trimeric mimics of the HIV-1 envelope spike protein (SOSIP trimers) as germline-targeting immunogens for vaccine development and as antigens for structural studies. The research program encompasses two primary projects: Project 1 focuses on the design of germline-targeting trimers under the direction of Rogier W. Sanders and PJ Klasse, while Project 2 addresses structural characterization and refinement of trimer design. The deliverables include optimized SOSIP trimer constructs suitable for human clinical trials, high-resolution structural data obtained through X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy studies, and advancement of broadly neutralizing antibody (BNAB)-inducing vaccine technology. The program builds upon five years of prior collaborative progress and represents continued investment in prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine development through structure-based immunogen design.