Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Minnesota, Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, received a $760,277 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 20, 2026, with completion targeted for January 31, 2031. The grant funds research to determine how a normal microbial environment (NME) protects against autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). The research addresses the rising global incidence of T1D by investigating the role of type I interferon (IFN-I) exposure during CD4+ T cell activation in both pathogen-free and naturally colonized mouse models, with the goal of identifying therapeutic interventions to prevent or treat human diabetes.

The research deliverables encompass three specific aims: (1) determining IFN-I's role in naive CD4 T cell fate following T cell receptor activation under specific pathogen-free conditions; (2) elucidating the mechanisms by which NME prevents autoimmune diabetes development; and (3) developing therapeutic approaches for autoimmune diabetes based on findings regarding T cell differentiation between effector T cells and regulatory T cells. The project utilizes University of Minnesota's specialized "dirty" mouse model that incorporates natural viral pathogens and microbial exposure to create a physiologically relevant research environment, enabling investigation of immune system responses under conditions more representative of human disease exposure than conventional laboratory models.