αGalCer-RBD, a conjugate of the potent invariant natural killer T cell (iNKT) agonist α-Galactosylceramide (αGalCer) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD), serves as a self-adjuvanting lipoprotein that exhibits strong potential as a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. This compound effectively induces immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern by promoting the development of RBD-specific, cytokine-producing T cells.