Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the Regents of the University of Minnesota a Project Grant totaling $407,326 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855). The award, issued February 12, 2026, with a completion date of January 31, 2028, funds exploratory research to develop model systems for studying the differentiation, homeostasis, and specificity of HELIOS+ CD8+ T cells—a population of memory-phenotype T cells implicated in preventing excessive and autoimmune immune responses. The research seeks to elucidate the precise identity of these regulatory CD8+ T cells, identify factors controlling their development and maintenance, and determine their specific contributions to immune homeostasis, positioning the research team for future investigations into the physiological role and therapeutic potential of these cells.

The project will be conducted at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus through the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration. As a major research institution with extensive experience executing federal biomedical research initiatives, the University of Minnesota will leverage its scientific expertise and research facilities to advance understanding of CD8+ T cell regulation, addressing a critical gap in immunological knowledge with implications for vaccine development, infectious disease control, and autoimmune disease prevention.