On April 28, 2024, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation) announced the launch of a joint funding program to support the research and development of innovative vaccine technologies to expand access to and coverage of vaccines, and help low- and middle-income countries address the serious challenges posed by infectious diseases and infectious diseases and save more lives.
This co-funding project is a continuation of the cooperation between NSFC and the Gates Foundation in the field of global health and development since 2021, aiming to promote research and innovation in key areas by promoting international cooperation. This year's project will focus on funding research in two areas: innovative RNA vaccines that can improve market access to vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, and controlled release delivery technologies.
The R&D of RNA vaccines has received widespread attention during the pandemic, not only because of the speed of development, but also because of the proven safety and efficacy. Researchers are continuing to tap into the potential of RNA vaccines to fight other life-threatening and deadly diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. RNA vaccines, which are easier and faster to develop and manufacture than traditional vaccines, are expected to help low- and middle-income countries access high-quality and effective vaccines, addressing major global health inequalities. Specifically, the proposal for the project should focus on how to improve the efficacy and duration of protection of vaccines by optimizing the RNA-based vaccine technology platform, making it more suitable for use in low- and middle-income countries.
Innovations in vaccine delivery can help further improve vaccine access and coverage. For example, vaccine microneedle patches can be administered through the skin without the need for complex cold chain transport or trained medical personnel, which can help protect the hardest-to-reach populations with conventional vaccinations, while controlled-release vaccine technology can further enable vaccine delivery, such as reducing multiple immunizations to a single dose by releasing antigens in steps, enhancing and optimizing antigenic immunity by slowly and continuously releasing antigenic components, or encapsulating different antigenic components in a dose of a vaccine in their respective microenvironments to prepare combination vaccines that can protect against multiple pathogens, and so on。
Lan Yujie, deputy director of the Natural Science Foundation of China, said: "Global health requires us to act together. I look forward to seeing more fruitful results from Chinese researchers and their international counterparts side by side, and I am confident that both sides will benefit from the collaboration." ”
Dr. Zhijie Zheng, Chief Representative of the Gates Foundation Beijing Representative Office, said: "Continued innovation is critical to accelerating the delivery of higher-quality, newer vaccines to save more lives. The Gates Foundation will continue to work with more Chinese partners and support this joint project and other similar projects to help reduce the burden of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries. ”
The joint project will fund up to six vaccine innovations. Each selected research proposal will receive a grant of no more than 1.5 million RMB from the Natural Science Foundation and no more than $200,000 from the Gates Foundation. Female researchers are particularly encouraged to apply. For more information on co-funded projects, click here: https://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab1356/info92495.htm
About the National Natural Science Foundation of China
The National Natural Science Foundation of China is a relatively independent institution managed by the Ministry of Science and Technology and managed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in accordance with the law. The Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has made international cooperation a priority, and is committed to promoting scientific research progress through international cooperation, creating a favorable atmosphere for Chinese scientists, and playing a greater role in the world scientific community.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that all lives are equal, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to helping people live healthy and productive lives. In developing countries, the Foundation focuses on improving the health of people and giving them the opportunity to escape hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, the Foundation is committed to ensuring that all people—especially those with the least resources—have the opportunity to succeed in their studies and in life. Headquartered in Seattle, USA, the Foundation is managed by CEO Mark Sussman under the guidance of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, as well as a Board of Trustees.
April 28, 2024, The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a joint program today to support the research and development of innovative vaccine technologies, with the aim to increase access and coverage of lifesaving vaccines across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that continue to be affected disproportionately by infectious and contagious diseases.
The joint program is a part of the collaboration between the NSFC and the Gates Foundation in the fields of global health and development since 2021, which encourages more international collaboration on research and innovative solutions for global health and development issues. This year’s program calls for proposals on two areas: innovation of RNA vaccines and vaccine controlled-release delivery technologies, both will improve the accessibility of vaccines in LMICs.
The development of RNA vaccine technologies came into focus during the pandemic for the fast speed at which RNA vaccines could be developed and proven safe and effective. Researchers around the world are continuing to explore the potential of RNA vaccines, hoping to use them to combat threats imposed by other deadly diseases, including AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. RNA vaccines, compared with traditional vaccines, are easier and faster to develop and manufacture. They could potentially help expand access to high-quality and effective vaccines across LMICs, hence addressing a crucial equity gap in global health. More specifically, the proposals of the program should focus on improving the durability and efficacy of vaccine responses with optimized RNA based technical platforms for better applications in LMICs.
Innovation in vaccine delivery technologies could help further improve vaccine accessibility and coverage. Unlike injection with a syringe, microneedle patches (MAPs) allow the vaccine to be delivered into the skin, removing the need for complicated cold-chain transportation of the vaccines or trained medical personnel for the administration. They could be used to protect the hardest groups to reach via conventional vaccination methods. Vaccine controlled-release technologies can further enable vaccine delivery, such as reducing multiple-dose immunization to a single dose by releasing antigens in a programmable manner, optimizing antigenic immunity by slowly and continuously releasing antigenic components, or encapsulating various antigenic components of a vaccine dose in their respective microenvironments to form a combination vaccine that can protect against a range of pathogens.
“Global health needs our joint action,” said Mr. Lan Yujie, Vice President of the NSFC. “I look forward to more fruitful outcomes from Chinese researchers together with their foreign counterparts, both of whom will benefit from more collaboration.”
“Continued innovation plays a critical role in accelerating access to better, newer lifesaving vaccines.” said Dr. Zhi-Jie Zheng, Director of the China Country Office at the Gates Foundation. “The foundation is committed to working with Chinese partners and supporting more such efforts as this joint program with the NSFC that will help reduce the infectious disease burden borne by LMICs.”
The joint program will fund up to six proposals on vaccine innovation. Each proposal, if selected, will be granted up to RMB1,500,000 by the NSFC and USD200,000 by the Gates Foundation. Female researchers are highly encouraged to apply. More information about the joint program can be found here：
https://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal0/tab1356/info92495.htm
About the National Natural Science Foundation of China
Tasked with the administration of the National Natural Science Fund from the Central Government, NSFC is an institution managed by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) but keeping its due independence in operation. International collaboration has become a priority for NSFC. NSFC aims to advance research through international collaborations and cultivate a favorable environment for Chinese scientists to play a greater role in the global scientific community.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.
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