- Posted on 12 Nov 2026
- 3-minute read
A new philanthropic grant will aid UTS in developing a new vaccine to prevent and treat painful urinary tract infections.
Key takeaways
- UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections affecting hundreds of millions of people.
- Antimicrobial resistance makes these infections even more dangerous.
- The grant will aid vaccine development and research to create a pathway to global health outcomes.
A new philanthropic grant from the Matariki Fund, administered by Rt Hon Dame Jacinda Ardern, will aid the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in developing a new vaccine to prevent and treat people from painful urinary tract infections (UTIs).
The $2 million grant will significantly advance vaccine development, and ensure Pacific communities are included in research efforts as critical evidence on disease burden, antimicrobial resistance and vaccine readiness is gathered to further a UTI vaccine for global use.
“UTIs are among the world's most common bacterial infections affecting hundreds of millions of people annually and disproportionally impacting women and girls, including in our Pacific region,” said Dame Jacinda Ardern.
“The incredible work of the University of Technology Sydney, and its partners, show that this can, and should be changed – and we can make new advancements that improve the quality of people’s lives, and do so alongside the communities who will benefit most.”
Director of the Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection at UTS Professor Iain Duggin said, “Worsening antimicrobial resistance makes these infections even more dangerous, and we need new ways to combat infections and limit their recurrence and spread.”
“We are building on strong foundations established through our existing mRNA vaccine research, while generating the evidence needed to better understand the burden of urinary tract infections and antimicrobial resistance in Pacific communities. The goal is not only to advance UTI vaccine development, but to create a pathway that can ultimately deliver meaningful health outcomes for women and girls across the Pacific and to broader communities around the world.
“The project will investigate and plan how a vaccine could benefit people in the Pacific Islands region, who are disadvantaged through limited diagnostic and surveillance capacity, delayed access to care, high and rising antimicrobial resistance and constrained health-system resources.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt said, “This partnership demonstrates what is possible when philanthropy, research excellence and global collaboration come together around a shared purpose. UTS is uniquely positioned to lead this work through our world-class infectious disease research, advanced biomanufacturing capability and decades of trusted partnerships across the Pacific. The Matariki Fund's investment will help us build the evidence, relationships and implementation pathways needed to ensure future innovations can achieve real and lasting impact.
“It will boost our team’s capacity to combine cutting edge vaccine innovation with community-led implementation planning to help ensure future advances in UTI prevention reach the women, communities and health systems that need them most.”
The Matariki Fund's investment will help us build the evidence, relationships and implementation pathways needed to ensure future innovations can achieve real and lasting impact.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Kate McGrath said the funding would support Pacific engagement and partnership development, UTI epidemiology and evidence generation, and implementation planning to help accelerate future vaccine-based prevention strategies.
“This convergence of scientific excellence, translational manufacturing capability and trusted regional health-system leadership that gives UTS the depth, credibility and momentum to deliver this ambitious program.”
The program brings together the Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development, and UTS public health researchers. This distinctive combination enables UTS to advance vaccine development, implementation planning and Pacific partnership development simultaneously, helping to ensure scientific innovation can translate into real-world impact.