Page 1 - Kipaji Newsletter - Edition 1

THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & ADVOCACY NEWSLETTER OF THE BRILLIANT CONSORTIUM | EDITION 1 | www.africanalliance.org.za | @The-African-Alliance | 2024
THE BIRTH OF AN AFRICAN CUTTING THROUGH THE

CONSORTIUM TO DISCOVER JARGON & GETTING TO
THE POINT!
AN HIV VACCINE From the proposal development stage we

knew that one thing we would need to get
What happens when some of the best minds in HIV Vaccine research come together to right was building our collective literacy
respond to a USAID Notice of Funding Opportunity? The BRILLIANT Consortium is born! in vaccinology and immunology. As a first
Successfully applying for a cooperative agreement to implement the HIV Vaccine Innovation, step we identified a selection of key terms
Science, and Technology Acceleration in Africa (HIV-VISTA) Project, this diverse group of that matter to us in BRILLIANT, broke them
partners co-created a proposal, characterized by deeply thoughtful Community Engagement, down just for you, and thought about this
to spearhead vaccine development,(including immunogen and adjuvant design and all! In this explainer set we check out over
identification of appropriate platforms and delivery mechanisms); conduct preclinical 40 terms and cut through the jargon to tell
studies to determine the safety, toxicity and immunogenicity of immunogens and adjuvants you why they matter - and why we care!
in animal studies; and finally conduct clinical trials using novel vaccine formulations, adjuvant Check out the full set in our next newsletter!
combinations and delivery methods.

A BRILLIANT

PARTNERSHIP

On the 21st of September 2023, the South African Medical
Research Council, announced that the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) had awarded the
BRILLIANT Consortium up to US$45 million to implement
the HIV Vaccine Innovation, Science, and Technology
Acceleration in Africa (HIV-VISTA) programme.

(L-R) Paloma Adams-Allen (Deputy Administrator of the USAID), Prof Glenda
Gray (SAMRC President and CEO) and Reuben Brigety (United States
Ambassador to South Africa.

This newsletter is
compiled by the African
Alliance, GALZ and
MURWP, the BRILLIANT
Consortium’s
Community
Engagement
Leadership Team.