Apply to NIAID’s Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Accelerating Malaria Vaccine and Monoclonal Antibody Discovery if you can propose research that helps generate new malaria vaccine candidates or monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based interventions, especially for Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax.
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended two malaria vaccines, RTS/AS01E and R21/Matrix M, for broad introduction in African countries for children older than 5 months. To address future effective global malaria control and elimination, WHO issued revised Preferred Product Characteristics (PPC) calling for new strategic priorities for next generation malaria vaccines.
Research Objectives and Scope
Currently, due to significant scientific and technical challenges facing malaria research and development, there are very few preclinical and clinical candidates in the global development pipeline that possess promising features that meet the PPC-defined criteria.
NIAID encourages applications focused on “combination” vaccine concepts to improve efficacy, targeting one or more parasite antigens of the different life cycle stages (i.e., pre-erythrocytic stage, blood, or sexual stage) of the parasites.
Research Areas of Interest
NIAID is most interested in the research topics listed below.
For vaccines:
- Identifying, characterizing, credentialing, or validating novel protective malaria antigens/peptides/epitopes.
- Molecular immunogen design and testing using cutting-edge innovations (e.g., artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryo-electron microscopy, structural immunobiology).
- Discovering new vaccine candidates based on novel technology platforms, adjuvants, or vaccination strategies.
- Constructing novel whole organism-based malaria vaccines or improvements to existing whole organism-based malaria vaccines.
- Discovering novel vaccine candidates or formulations that exhibit improved performance, manufacturability, or deliverability over existing vaccines.
- Discovering new vaccine candidates or improvement of existing vaccine candidates to have more favorable storage conditions, or administration and deployment features.
- Screening, testing, credentialing, or validating new vaccine candidates or formulations with novel assays or animal models.
For mAbs or novel Ab-based interventions:
- Identifying and characterizing new functional mAbs, including broadly protective mAbs.
- Antibody engineering to improve functionality or stability, such as affinity/avidity, pharmacokinetic durability, or manufacturability.
- Developing novel platforms or strategies to express or deliver Abs or Ab-based products, including construction and testing of Ab-based concepts, such as viral-vectored, mRNA expressed, or bi- or multi-specific Ab constructs for improved product features to enhance prevention of malaria infection or transmission, or ameliorate malaria disease.
Application and Submission Information
This notice applies to application receipt dates on or after February 5, 2025, and subsequent receipt dates through November 16, 2027.
Apply to this initiative through one of the following notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) or any reissues of these NOFOs through the expiration date of this notice.
- NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Follow all instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and the NOFO you use to apply. You must include “NOT-AI-24-072” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF 424 R&R form.
Inquiries
Direct all inquiries to NIAID’s scientific/research contact, Dr. Annie Mo, at moa@niaid.nih.gov or 240-627-3320.