A Zika virus researcher at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center loads samples into a microcentrifuge.
Despite many accomplishments in vaccine research over the years, much remains to be done. NIAID-supported investigators in the United States and other countries and in NIAID laboratories in Bethesda, Maryland, and Hamilton, Montana, are working to reduce the burden of illness by helping to develop vaccines against diseases old and new.
NIAID has three broad goals in vaccine research:
- Identify new vaccine candidates to prevent diseases for which no vaccines currently exist.
- Improve the safety and efficacy of existing vaccines.
- Design novel vaccine approaches, such as new delivery systems and adjuvants.
To achieve these goals, NIAID conducts and supports basic and applied research in fields such as immunology, microbiology, and disease pathology.
View NIAID’s Reports and Strategic Plans relevant to vaccine research and development.
COVID-19 Vaccines
Next Generation COVID-19 Vaccines
NIAID plans to leverage existing infrastructure and network sites to implement a structured program evaluating up to 10 next generation COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines
NIAID has participated in mRNA vaccine research and development. This infographic shows the mRNA vaccine components, development timeline, and an overview of the numbers of doses administered, lives saved, hospitalizations prevented and costs averted.
Research Support
Connect With Other Researchers
Researchers at NIAID
Many NIAID labs are engaged in adjuvant research. Investigators from the Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, and Laboratory of Systems Biology are collaborating on a special program in vaccine adjuvants. The scientists are evaluating a diverse panel of candidate adjuvants and antigens in mouse and monkey models and in people. In addition, several labs are conducting and participating in adjuvant studies.
Vaccine Adjuvants
Vaccine Adjuvant Research Program
NIAID plays a leading role in the discovery, development, and characterization of new vaccine adjuvants that may be used to: improve the efficacy of current vaccines; design new or improved vaccines for existing and emerging infectious diseases; and develop vaccines to treat allergies, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
Read about the Vaccine Adjuvant Research Programs
Adjuvant Resources for Researchers
Resources for Researchers
NIAID offers many resources to support your research. You may request services if you are an investigator in academia, a not-for-profit organization, industry, or government in the United States or worldwide. You need not be a grantee of NIAID or another National Institutes of Health Institute or Center. Each resource outlines eligibility information.