Plug-and-play vaccine and antibody blueprints for emerging flu-like viruses
Official title: PROVIDENT: Prepositioning Optimized Strategies for Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics against Diverse Emerging Infectious Threats
Funded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NIH-11565890 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-team NIH grant aims to create adaptable vaccine and antibody blueprints to rapidly respond to new enveloped RNA viruses in three families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $171,936 |
| NIH project number | 3U19AI181977-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11565890 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals at risk for exposure to emerging enveloped RNA viruses or those relying on vaccines/therapies for protection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit are those not at risk of exposure to the target viruses or who would not access the eventual products.
What this research studies
This project brings together 13 institutions to build platform strategies that can quickly produce manufacturable vaccines and antibodies. Researchers will identify host factors involved in infection, refine vaccine designs through antigen engineering, and test RNA vaccine approaches to optimize immune responses and safety. The work includes four research projects, supported by dedicated cores and a data management center, with a path toward regulatory readiness and industry collaboration. A prototype virus strategy in Phase I will guide iterative testing and improvement across components to accelerate protection against diverse threats.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster availability of proven vaccines and antibody therapies against emerging dangerous viruses.
How similar studies have gone: Past platform approaches have shown promise in accelerating vaccine and antibody development, though this specific multi-pathogen, plug-and-play concept is being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chandran, Kartik — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Chandran, Kartik
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.