NEWS & EVENTS

Australians helping to guide next-generation vaccine research

20 February 2026

When Griffith University Professor Katherine Andrews and Associate Professor Danielle Stanisic applied for a HTQ microgrant, they had a specific challenge in mind: how to involve consumers in their application for a National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (CRE).

Fast forward to 2025, and the Vaccine Adjuvant Discovery and Development (Vaccine-ADD) CRE secured $3 million in funding, paving the way for this multidisciplinary team to improve vaccine effectiveness worldwide.

Why vaccine effectiveness matters

Professor Andrews and Associate Professor Stanisic explained how HTQ’s Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) Microgrants Program contributed to the success of the Vaccine-ADD CRE.

“Many people are unaware that adjuvants are ingredients used in vaccines to enhance how they work, and that there are limited adjuvants currently in use, which restricts vaccine development, particularly for people with reduced responsiveness,” Professor Andrews said.

“The Vaccine-ADD research program had to include public education about vaccines and adjuvants and why they are essential.

Listening to the community

“Our team knew we wanted to involve health consumers right from the start, from the planning stage of our grant application, and we sought HTQ’s advice,” Professor Andrews said.

“HTQ’s microgrant enabled us to gain input from an expanded group of consumer members on our overall approach and how best to communicate with consumers in focus groups.

How this works in practice

“As a result, our Vaccine-ADD CRE includes experienced consumer, Jess Taylor from Consumers in Research Australia, and a budget for further consumer involvement activities.

“Ongoing consumer involvement will help ensure that our research remains relevant and achieves the best outcomes for human health.”

Collaboration for vaccine innovation

The Vaccine-ADD CRE is a national program led by Griffith University with partners from Monash University, The University of Queensland, Sydney University, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Australian National University, and the CSIRO.

The Vaccine-ADD aims to:

1. improve human health in Australia and globally by discovering and developing novel adjuvants to enhance vaccine efficacy and safety and to expand vaccine options for diverse populations
2. contribute to addressing current and future consumer concerns about vaccine availability and barriers
3. provide strong mentoring for early-career researchers and build national capability in vaccine research.

For the latest updates about the Vaccine-ADD, which starts in early 2026, please visit their LinkedIn page.

For more information about HTQ’s consumer and community involvement resources, including microgrants, please visit the HTQ webpage.