Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Yale University received a $662,465 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded February 6, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2031. The grant supports research and development of next-generation intranasal mucosal booster vaccines for durable airway immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and related zoonotic coronaviruses. The research focuses on understanding mechanisms by which novel vaccine adjuvant combinations—mastoparan-7 and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9) agonist CPG—elicit durable mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses that provide superior protection compared to intramuscular messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines alone.

The project delivers scientific research outputs examining mast cell and antigen-presenting cell signaling pathways modulated by the novel mucosal adjuvant combination, with specific investigation into optimal intranasal boost dosing schedules, IgA kinetics and durability, and gene expression profiles in respiratory tract immune cells. Research activities include lineage-tracing studies to characterize IgA-secreting cells and memory B cells in the respiratory tract, with the ultimate objective of establishing universal vaccine platforms capable of providing durable and broadly protective immunity against emerging coronavirus threats. The performance location is Hamden, Connecticut.