CEPI FA2 Preclinical Development Award

CEPI Clinical Development Award — Focus Area 2

Funds organizations conducting clinical trials of vaccine candidates against CEPI priority pathogens and viral families through CEPI's Innovations Call for Proposals.

Eligibility · Global (all countries eligible; Global South applicants particularly encouraged)

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The CEPI Clinical Development Award – Focus Area 2 is a grant administered by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a non-profit international association headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices in London and Washington, DC. It is one of three award tiers under CEPI's Innovations to Prepare for Future Epidemics and Pandemics call (Focus Area 2), which seeks to advance new vaccine candidates for CEPI priority pathogens and viral families. The award covers up to five years of activity — longer than the Exploratory Award (up to 18 months, capped at US $1M) and the Preclinical Development Award (capped at US $5M) — but the source document does not state a maximum dollar amount for this award tier. CEPI funds directly and takes no equity; co-funding requirements are not mentioned in the source.

Focus Area 2 targets vaccine candidates for Lassa Fever and Disease X exemplar vaccines across five viral families: paramyxoviruses, arenaviruses, coronaviruses (specifically non-ACE-2 binding Sarbecoviruses with human spillover potential), phenuiviruses, and nairoviruses. The Clinical Development Award covers Phase I through Phase III studies, production of clinical trial material, immunobridging studies, and CMC development. Disease X exemplar vaccine proposals are funded up to Phase II for select prototype viruses.

Eligible applicants include for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, universities, research organizations, and government bodies from anywhere in the world. Global South applicants are particularly encouraged to apply. For Lassa Fever proposals, preference is given to groups based in Lassa Fever endemic regions in West Africa, or those with plans to conduct clinical evaluation in those areas. CEPI strongly encourages prospective applicants to make prior contact at innovations.cfp@cepi.net to confirm alignment with current portfolio priorities before submitting.

Applications were accepted on a quarterly rolling basis, with deadlines at 23:59 CET from 24 October 2023 through 13 April 2026. As of the current verification date, the final listed deadline (13 April 2026) has passed and no further deadlines are published in the source document. Applications are submitted by email to innovations.cfp@cepi.net. Evaluation covers scientific and technical merit, strategic alignment with CEPI's portfolio, team capability, and feasibility of the development plan.

Applicants should note that the dollar amount for this award tier is not stated in the call text — only the duration (up to five years) is given. Budget requests must be justified in the application. No co-funding or matching requirements are described. Indirect cost and overhead rates are not stated in the source.