Since the EQAPOL program was awarded in September 2010, the EQAPOL Viral Diversity program has acquired viral isolates from over 34 countries, completed pre-culture characterization, grew viruses to high-titers/high-volumes, characterized final virus stocks, and made isolates available to NIAID-approved laboratories. The Research Institute worked with multiple blood donation centers in locations such as USA, South Africa, Spain, and France to acquire plasma specimens that were positive based on nucleic acid testing. In addition, VRI established multiple collaborations to acquire plasma specimens to expand the geographic reach of the EQAPOL program.

Vitalant Research Institute continues to expand collaborations with HIV surveillance sites, national blood donor collection programs and research organizations around the world to identify new geographic locations or HIV subtypes and recombinant circulating strains that need representation in the EQAPOL repository and developed panels with a number of developing collaborations underway.