Purpose
The ultimate goal is to lay the foundation for large-scale and translational initiatives addressing infectious diseases through the lens of vaccine and immunotherapeutic development supported by extramural funding and partnerships (e.g., NIH, industry). This seed grant theme builds upon the outcomes of the Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics workshop and leverages Ohio State’s established strengths in microbiology, immunology, data science, and veterinary medicine.
Background and Theme Topics
The IDI Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics Initiative held the Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics workshop in January 2026. Workshop participants emphasized the importance of stimulating new collaborations, supporting early stage ideas with clear paths to scale up funding, and advancing projects with clear translational or commercial potential.
The IDI Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics Initiative welcomes proposals that explore vaccines and immunotherapeutics against bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens. Particularly encouraged are projects with pathways to IP, licensing, startup formation, or industry sponsorships. Proposal topics may include:
- Vaccine platforms and immune response, particularly innate immunity in vaccine-induced protection
- Immunotherapeutics and combination approaches
- Delivery technologies (e.g., mucosal, nanoparticle or novel formulations) and ex vivo and in vitro translational models to validate delivery and efficacy
- Artificial intelligence and data-enabled innovation to accelerate antigen discovery, immunogen design, immune profiling or candidate prioritization
Guidelines and Application
All IDI Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program guidelines and application processes apply.