# DTRA Funds $20.7 Million Vaccine Research

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), through its RAVEN program, awarded Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai an approximately **$20.7 million, five-year agreement** to develop and evaluate an inhaled/nasal mRNA vaccine platform. The project initially targets H5N1 and will assess whether the platform can be adapted to at least 20 respiratory viruses; the agreement runs through August 28, 2031. This is an awarded research effort, not an open solicitation.

- The award signals DoD interest in respiratory vaccine platforms and related delivery and evaluation capabilities. Organizations working in vaccine development, preclinical testing, safety, or regulatory planning may find the program relevant to their market positioning.
- Contractors should treat the award as a market signal rather than an immediate bid opportunity; the source identifies no open solicitation or application deadline.
- The five-year effort may inform future requirements in vaccine delivery and testing, but the source does not identify specific subcontracting opportunities or follow-on procurements.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Healthcare, Defense & Military
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 23, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
- Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO)
- Medical CBRN Defense Consortium

### Vendors
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (awardee)

### Sources
- [Inhaled mRNA Respiratory Vaccines to Be Developed Under $20.7 Million Government Contract 
| TVR | Rishma Parpia | https://t.co/Ee9x9pUuAI
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Defense through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), with support provided through its J](https://x.com/NVICLoeDown/status/2113616439340929503) - twitter-defense