Federal Grant Award Summary

Florida State University's Sponsored Research Administration Division received a $372,997 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 April 10, 2026 through March 31, 2031. The award supports investigator-initiated biomedical research focused on elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of cytosolic DNA sensing pathways through non-canonical nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. The research aims to delineate how pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) control Type I Interferon (IFN-I) activation to develop next-generation therapeutics for treating viral infections and DNA damage-driven inflammatory disease states.

The project delivers fundamental scientific research investigating the novel cross-talk between cytosolic DNA sensing PRRs and non-canonical NF-κB signaling, with particular focus on the role of NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) in enhancing interferon responses independent of traditional downstream signaling pathways. Research outputs will include mechanistic insights into how NIK interacts with and activates stimulator of interferon genes (STING), an essential signaling adaptor in the cytosolic DNA sensing cascade. This basic science investigation is intended to generate methodological advances and therapeutic candidates addressing age-related diseases, neurological disorders, and autoinflammatory conditions driven by aberrant cytosolic DNA detection.