Podcast Episode
In early 2025, the consortium's researchers gathered in Zanzibar, poised to translate years of scientific work into action. The scientific advisory board had just endorsed the imminent launch of vaccine trials. Nonhlanhla Mkhize, a medical scientist with South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases, recalled that the excitement was palpable and they were on the brink of something monumental.
Then came the funding freeze. Hours after President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, he signed Executive Order 14169, freezing all foreign development assistance pending a 90-day review. That pause would ultimately result in the termination of over 90 percent of USAID programming, including the BRILLIANT Consortium's grant.
Penny Moore, a virologist from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said a colleague from USAID expressed uncertainty about their future interactions. She noted that preparing for a clinical trial is a lengthy process, but shutting it down can happen almost overnight.
The trials aim to determine how to stimulate these specialized antibodies before infection occurs, potentially offering protection against the diverse HIV strains circulating across Africa. This approach represents one of the most promising pathways toward an effective HIV vaccine, addressing the fundamental challenge that has stymied vaccine development for decades: the virus's extraordinary ability to mutate and evade immune responses.
The new funding totals roughly one-twentieth of the original USAID grant, and none of it comes from the US government. While significantly smaller than the original budget, it proved sufficient to restart the scaled-back trial focusing on South Africa alone rather than the multi-country approach originally envisioned.
Amelia Mfiki, the community liaison officer for the vaccine trials, said this is a great opportunity for South Africa to prove that they can do things in South Africa for South Africa with South African financing. She acknowledged they still need support from other countries but emphasized they should not be depending solely on them.
Moore remained optimistic about the prospects. She stated they need to get ahead of the virus, and believes that the only way to achieve that is through a vaccine. While acknowledging they are not at the finish line yet and that the virus presents significant challenges, she believes they are closer than ever.
The State Department did not respond to requests for comment about the withdrawal of funding or the possibility of future support for similar endeavours.
HIV remains a major public health challenge in Africa, with South Africa among the countries most heavily affected by the epidemic. The development of an effective vaccine has been a goal of the global health community for decades, with numerous setbacks along the way.
The survival of this trial, albeit in a reduced form, represents both a triumph of scientific determination and a cautionary tale about the fragility of international research collaborations dependent on single funding sources. As the trial moves forward under African leadership and with African funding at its core, it may chart a new model for global health research that is more resilient to political disruptions.
African HIV Vaccine Trial Survives US Funding Collapse Through Last-Minute Rescue
January 18, 2026
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An ambitious HIV vaccine trial led by African scientists has been rescued from the brink of collapse after emergency funding was secured to replace a $45 million US grant that was abruptly terminated. The trial, which aims to develop breakthrough vaccines capable of protecting against diverse HIV strains, will begin administering first doses to participants next week, nearly a year after researchers received a devastating stop-work order.
The Crisis
The BRILLIANT Consortium, a coalition of African scientists developing novel HIV vaccines, had secured a $45 million grant from the US Agency for International Development in 2023 to test breakthrough immunogens across multiple African nations. The funding was meant to support a five-year research programme focused on stimulating broadly neutralizing antibodies, rare immune responses capable of recognizing and neutralizing up to 90 percent of global HIV strains.In early 2025, the consortium's researchers gathered in Zanzibar, poised to translate years of scientific work into action. The scientific advisory board had just endorsed the imminent launch of vaccine trials. Nonhlanhla Mkhize, a medical scientist with South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases, recalled that the excitement was palpable and they were on the brink of something monumental.
Then came the funding freeze. Hours after President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, he signed Executive Order 14169, freezing all foreign development assistance pending a 90-day review. That pause would ultimately result in the termination of over 90 percent of USAID programming, including the BRILLIANT Consortium's grant.
Penny Moore, a virologist from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said a colleague from USAID expressed uncertainty about their future interactions. She noted that preparing for a clinical trial is a lengthy process, but shutting it down can happen almost overnight.
The Scientific Breakthrough at Stake
The vaccine development approach being pursued by the BRILLIANT Consortium targets a critical discovery in HIV research. A small subset of people infected with HIV naturally develop broadly neutralizing antibodies years after infection. These specialized antibodies are remarkable because they can recognize and neutralize a vast array of HIV variants, targeting parts of the virus that remain constant even as HIV rapidly mutates.The trials aim to determine how to stimulate these specialized antibodies before infection occurs, potentially offering protection against the diverse HIV strains circulating across Africa. This approach represents one of the most promising pathways toward an effective HIV vaccine, addressing the fundamental challenge that has stymied vaccine development for decades: the virus's extraordinary ability to mutate and evade immune responses.
The Rescue Effort
Rather than abandon their work, South African researchers devised an alternate plan. They scaled back the initiative to focus solely on South Africa and reduced the scope of the trials. After months of frantic grant applications, the team secured funding from the South African Medical Research Council and the Gates Foundation.The new funding totals roughly one-twentieth of the original USAID grant, and none of it comes from the US government. While significantly smaller than the original budget, it proved sufficient to restart the scaled-back trial focusing on South Africa alone rather than the multi-country approach originally envisioned.
Amelia Mfiki, the community liaison officer for the vaccine trials, said this is a great opportunity for South Africa to prove that they can do things in South Africa for South Africa with South African financing. She acknowledged they still need support from other countries but emphasized they should not be depending solely on them.
Moving Forward
Participant screening for the pared-down trials has now commenced at sites in townships heavily impacted by HIV. Next week, the first doses of the new trial will be administered, marking a significant milestone in African-led HIV vaccine research.Moore remained optimistic about the prospects. She stated they need to get ahead of the virus, and believes that the only way to achieve that is through a vaccine. While acknowledging they are not at the finish line yet and that the virus presents significant challenges, she believes they are closer than ever.
The State Department did not respond to requests for comment about the withdrawal of funding or the possibility of future support for similar endeavours.
Broader Impact
The near-collapse of the BRILLIANT Consortium trial illustrates the vulnerability of critical global health research to political decisions. The incident has sparked discussions about the need for more diversified funding sources for essential medical research, particularly for diseases that disproportionately affect lower-income countries.HIV remains a major public health challenge in Africa, with South Africa among the countries most heavily affected by the epidemic. The development of an effective vaccine has been a goal of the global health community for decades, with numerous setbacks along the way.
The survival of this trial, albeit in a reduced form, represents both a triumph of scientific determination and a cautionary tale about the fragility of international research collaborations dependent on single funding sources. As the trial moves forward under African leadership and with African funding at its core, it may chart a new model for global health research that is more resilient to political disruptions.
Published January 18, 2026 at 6:14am
