Status: Open. Applications due Thursday, February 11, 2027, 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. Submissions open January 11, 2027. One application per institution.
Executive Summary
NIAID will commit $4M in FY2028 to fund 5 to 7 R61/R33 phased awards for research and preclinical development of next-generation malaria vaccines against P. falciparum and P. vivax. Universities, nonprofits and companies, including small and foreign businesses, can apply by February 11, 2027.
The R61 phase (up to 3 years, up to $400,000 in direct costs a year) funds discovery and proof of concept. Projects that meet their transition milestones move to the R33 phase (up to 2 years, up to $750,000 in direct costs a year) for preclinical development toward an IND. Clinical trials are not allowed.
Solicitation at a Glance
- Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Opportunity: Accelerating Research and Development of Next Generation Vaccines against Malaria - a Model for Mosquito-Borne Diseases
- Number: RFA-AI-28-024 (R61/R33 Exploratory/Developmental Phased Award, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- Funding: NIAID intends to commit $4M in FY2028 for 5 to 7 awards
- Award Size: R61: up to $400,000 direct costs a year for up to 3 years. R33: up to $750,000 direct costs a year for up to 2 years. 5 years maximum.
- Opens: January 11, 2027
- Due Date: February 11, 2027, 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization
- Earliest Start: December 2027
Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before the February 11 deadline.
What Is RFA-AI-28-024?
It is a new NIAID funding opportunity that uses the R61/R33 phased award: a discovery and proof-of-concept phase, then a development phase that starts only after NIAID reviews whether the project met its transition milestones. NIAID wants malaria vaccines that can also serve as a model for, or work against, other mosquito-borne diseases.
What Problem Is NIAID Trying to Solve?
Malaria causes the most deaths of any mosquito-borne disease. NIAID wants long-lasting, highly effective protection by using recent advances in structure-based immunogen design, better formulations and combination vaccines, with candidates that prevent infection, reduce disease or block transmission.
Priority Research Areas: What NIAID Is Looking For
- New vaccine concepts: Improved immunogen design or new antigens, new formulations, and modern platforms such as AI-guided vaccine design.
- Combination vaccines: Combining platforms or multiple protein subunit immunogens, multi-stage vaccines that target several parasite life cycle stages, and concepts that target mosquito vector products such as salivary gland proteins.
- Efficacy evidence: Immunogenicity and efficacy shown with new approach methodologies (functional assays, in vitro or ex vivo systems, computational and AI-based approaches) or appropriate animal models.
- Preclinical development: Critical assay and process development, formulation improvement, cGMP pilot lot production and release, IND-enabling activities, and regulatory support for starting a Phase I trial.
- Not responsive: Vaccines focused on Plasmodium species other than P. falciparum or P. vivax, GLP toxicology studies in animals, and clinical trial protocol development.
Funding and Award Terms
NIAID intends to commit $4M in FY2028 to fund 5 to 7 awards. R61 budgets are not expected to exceed $400,000 in direct costs a year for up to 3 years, and R33 budgets are not expected to exceed $750,000 in direct costs a year for up to 2 years, with a 5-year maximum. Applications must include detailed timelines for both phases and SMART transition milestones that guide NIAID's go/no-go decision.
Eligibility Requirements
- Who can apply: Higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations including small businesses, governments and other listed organization types.
- Foreign organizations: Non-U.S. entities are eligible, but NIH will not make awards that involve foreign subawards or subcontracts under this NOFO.
- One per institution: Only one application per institution (identified by its UEI or NIH IPF number).
- Registrations: SAM.gov, Grants.gov and eRA Commons registrations are needed before you submit, and they take time.
How to Apply
- Confirm your institution's single application slot early.
- Contact NIAID scientific staff at MalariaandOtherMosquitoBorneDiseases@mail.nih.gov to test your concept.
- Write specific aims for both phases, a project timeline (a Gantt chart works) and SMART transition milestones from R61 to R33.
- Follow the NIH How to Apply Application Guide and the NOFO's program-specific instructions.
- Submit between January 11 and February 11, 2027, by 5:00 PM local time of your organization.
What Happens After You Submit?
- July 2027: Scientific merit review.
- October 2027: Advisory council review.
- December 2027: Earliest start date.
- R61 to R33: NIAID reviews progress against your transition milestones before funding the R33 phase.
Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?
It fits vaccine companies and academic spinouts with a malaria antigen, immunogen design platform, formulation or combination approach that is past the idea stage and could reach IND-enabling work within five years. It is a poor fit for teams that need to run a clinical trial, focus on other Plasmodium species, or need a foreign subcontractor.
How BW&CO Can Help
BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For NIH phased awards like RFA-AI-28-024, we help you:
- Check fit against the responsive and non-responsive research areas.
- Write R61 and R33 specific aims that read as one five-year plan.
- Build SMART transition milestones NIAID can use for its go/no-go decision.
- Plan the budget within the R61 and R33 direct cost limits.
- Manage registrations, forms and submission so nothing is rejected on compliance.
Plan Your Malaria Vaccine Application
Frequently Asked Questions
When is it due?
February 11, 2027, by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. Submissions open January 11, 2027.
How much funding is available?
NIAID intends to commit $4M in FY2028 to fund 5 to 7 awards. R61 budgets up to $400,000 in direct costs a year; R33 budgets up to $750,000 in direct costs a year.
Can a company apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, are eligible, as are universities and nonprofits.
Can a foreign organization apply?
Yes, but NIH will not issue awards under this NOFO that involve foreign subawards or subcontracts.
Are clinical trials allowed?
No. Clinical trial protocol development and GLP toxicology studies are not responsive.
Which parasites qualify?
Vaccines directed principally against Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.
How does the move from R61 to R33 work?
You propose SMART transition milestones. NIAID uses them to decide whether to fund the R33 development phase.
How many applications can my institution send?
One.
Can BW&CO help with an RFA-AI-28-024 application?
Yes. BW&CO can shape your aims and transition milestones, build the budget and manage the submission. Book a call with our team.
Source: Grants.gov: RFA-AI-28-024, Next Generation Vaccines against Malaria (R61/R33)