Sask. vaccine and infectious disease organization gets major U.S. contract

The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) has been awarded a major research contract that could position the organization as a global player in the industry.

"It all really speaks to the quality of the scientists that are doing the work here," said Volker Gerdts, VIDO CEO.

"We have some of the world's best infrastructure here at VIDO. Now it's good to see that it's being recognized by an international organization — an important international organization like the NIH — recognizing that VIDO is a global player in infectious disease research."

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the indefinite delivery, or indefinite quantity, contract under its pre-clinical models of infectious disease program. VIDO was the only Canadian organization selected for the program and one of only four organizations worldwide.

Gerdts said NIH is the largest funder for any bio-technical research or biomedical research in the world. The seven-year contract has a ceiling funding limit of US$146 million.

"It puts us in a group of selected contractors that over a period of seven years can now do work on advancing new vaccines, new therapeutics, new biologicals and so on," Gerdts said.

The contract is the latest in a growing list of success stories for the once humble organization that has gone on to be internationally recognized for its research and development of human and animal vaccines.

"I believe the University of Saskatchewan, at this point, is really firing on all cylinders," Baljit Singh, the vice-president of research at the U of S, said. " Our enrollment is the highest ever and our research funding is the highest ever."

Last year, the university received $417 million in research funding, the largest amount ever record in a single fiscal year. 

Whether it's food security, water security, agriculture or VIDO's work towards becoming Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research, the U of S is no longer trying to recruit top-end talent, it's leading the way.

"We are bringing graduate students from more than 130 countries around the globe, and this is the top-tier talent that not only our city and the province needs, but our country desperately needs because it's a global race for innovation now, and that hinges on the type of the talent we can bring to the city," Singh said.

VIDO started as a Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization in 1975 and soon began developing some world firsts for large animals before developing several vaccines for animals. Now, the work happening at VIDO will be vital to curbing the spread of infectious diseases we may not even know about yet, and one way or another, the labs on campus will play a part across the world.

"Not only that we're developing our own technologies and bringing royalties and revenue to the province, but also on the international market. Now playing or working with the large companies, bringing their revenue to the province, growing the reputation of the province of Saskatchewan and putting us on the global map," Gerdts said.

As the research boom continues, neither Gerdts or Singh can say where the investments into the university and its research will take us.

"It's a very stimulating, creative environment that is happening here right now," Gerdts said. "And for VIDO to be part of it, it's really helping us in our research."