Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Wisconsin–Madison a Project Grant totaling $753,899 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), effective February 2, 2026, through January 31, 2031. This five-year research project will investigate the mechanisms by which butyrate, a microbiome-derived metabolite influenced by dietary fiber intake, impacts Clostridioides difficile (CD) fitness and pathogenesis. Given that CD infections represent an urgent public health threat causing approximately 450,000 annual infections, 15,000 deaths, and $1 billion in excess healthcare costs in the United States, this research seeks to develop a mechanistic understanding of how dietary fiber and its associated microbiome effects influence CD infection risk and progression.

The research will advance scientific knowledge of CD-microbiome-host interactions to support the development of novel, non-antibiotic therapeutic strategies for treating CD infections. By elucidating how butyrate differentiates healthy from dysbiotic gut ecosystems and identifying specific interactions that merit therapeutic targeting, this project aims to address critical limitations of current treatment approaches, including antibiotic resistance and the long-term sustainability of microbial replacement therapies. The work will be conducted at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.