Tulane University to lead national research partnership to speed up COVID-19 vaccine discoveries A COVID-19 researcher in the biosafety level 3 laboratory at the Tulane National Primate Research Center. (Source: Tulane University) By Nicole Mumphrey | February 3, 2021 at 1:55 PM CST - Updated February 3 at 1:56 PM NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -The National Institutes of Health has selected Tulane National Primate Research Center to lead a new partnership between the seven federally funded National Primate Research Centers to combine their efforts to accelerate promising COVID-19 vaccine and drug research. The NIH contract, awarded at $1.7 million for the first year, has the potential to reach up to $6.5 million over a four-year funding period.