Federal Grant Award Summary

Emory University received a $910K 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 5, 2026, with completion targeted for April 30, 2031. The grant supports investigator-initiated biomedical research focused on developing an innovative HIV vaccination strategy utilizing DNA-lipid nanoparticle (DNA-LNP) technology to induce durable cellular and humoral immune responses. The research aims to generate potent, broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibody responses combined with strong CD8+ T cell responses—particularly tissue-resident memory T cells—to provide long-term HIV protection even when serum neutralizing antibody levels remain below traditionally required thresholds. Preliminary findings indicate DNA-LNPs elicit significantly higher CD8+ T cell responses compared to messenger RNA-LNPs, supporting the hypothesis that combined humoral and cellular immunity will improve protection against HIV.

The research conducted at Emory University's Atlanta, Georgia location will advance vaccine development methodology by establishing a platform that integrates multiple immunological mechanisms to overcome challenges that have limited HIV vaccine efficacy over four decades. By demonstrating that lower neutralizing antibody titers can achieve protection when paired with robust T cell responses, this research produces foundational scientific knowledge and methodological advances applicable to infectious disease vaccine development more broadly, contributing to improved public health outcomes and advancing the scientific understanding of HIV pathogenesis and immunological protection.