Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Virginia $242,250 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) for a Project Grant with an award date of April 10, 2026, and an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2028. This research initiative, titled "Microbial Drivers of Oral Vaccine Failure," investigates the mechanistic relationship between gut microbiota composition and the reduced efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccination (ORV) in undernourished populations. The research addresses Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED)—a subclinical intestinal malabsorption syndrome linked to undernutrition and linear growth stunting—and seeks to identify how specific microbial community members influence mucosal immune function and suppress oral vaccination responses.

The project will deliver scientific research outputs utilizing a murine model of intergenerational undernutrition in which germ-free mice are colonized with microbiota from stunted or healthy human infants. Through this investigator-initiated biomedical research, the team will test hypotheses regarding how specific members of the microbiota contribute to altered immune responses, including elevated microbiota-directed immunoglobulin A (IgA) and increased regulatory T cells. Research findings are expected to generate mechanistic knowledge that could inform interventions to improve oral vaccine efficacy in vulnerable populations with the greatest disease burden. The performance location for this research is Charlottesville, Virginia.