The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Tanzania leadership is thrilled to announce a multi-million-dollar research award to advance HIV vaccine innovation within the African continent. This assistance has been awarded through its Mbeya Medical Research Center which is known for conducting multiple HIV vaccine trials since 2005. This significant funding of up to US$ 45.6 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will foster local HIV vaccine development and testing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) including Tanzania.
The awarded co-operative agreement went to a Consortium named BRILLIANT: BRinging Innovation to cLinical and Laboratory Research to end HIV In Africa through New vaccine Technology which is led by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and its President Prof. Glenda Gray, as well as leading scientists across the African continent that included eight countries: Tanzania (NIMR), Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa.
The BRILLIANT Consortium’s research will focus on utilizing the existing capacity, scientific talent, ingenuity, and investments made in community engagement on research in SSA to advance the HIV vaccine field through supporting activities in the following five interrelated areas: –
i) Design and implement early-stage clinical trials of HIV vaccine immunogens;
ii) Test innovative pre-clinical HIV vaccine concepts, advancing the most promising candidates toward clinical trials;
iii) Partner with civil society advocates, affected communities including those affected by people living with HIV and AIDS, policymakers, and communicators to advance SSA -led HIV vaccine science;
iv) Conduct laboratory analyses on samples from trials and epidemiological studies; and
v) Strengthen systems of collaborations for HIV vaccine research in SSA and increase opportunities to advance the careers of promising sub-Saharan African scientists, including Tanzania.
NIMR is deeply honored to be part of this exciting initiative with corresponding appreciation to USAID for once again supporting such a strategic undertaking. We extend our gratitude to SAMRC and all other BRILLIANT consortium partners for their unwavering dedication and efforts geared towards securing this award and commitment to eliminating HIV.
This award will accelerate health research efforts toward developing African-made, safe and efficacious HIV vaccines. Indeed, NIMR as a parastatal institution in the Tanzania Ministry of Health is very much committed to promoting the advancement of high-quality health research and innovative solutions including the fight against HIV and AIDS as part of our mandates in advancing health research as well as enhancing life both locally and internationally.