CFAs: Effectively Strengthening Safety and Security of Biological Research Globally (US)

Deadline: 11-Aug-2025

The Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation is accepting applications to effectively strengthen safety and security of biological research globally.

 Goals and Objectives

• Effectively Strengthening Safety and Security of Biological Research Globally
  • Biosafety and biosecurity measures are a key part of national implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and are essential to keeping biological laboratories in clinical, research, and industry settings from posing a danger to laboratory workers and the general public. Internationally, biosafety and biosecurity practices and policies have not kept pace with the continued growth in the life sciences sector due to rapid advances in biotechnology, increased interest in pathogen research, and investments in public health capability building. Americans will be safer if the United States leverages its expertise and leadership in the area of biosafety and biosecurity to work with foreign partners to strengthen BWC national implementation through the promotion, development, and implementation of effective biosafety and biosecurity measures. This work in turn promotes implementation of safeguards and nonproliferation measures to prevent biological accidents and the acquisition, development, and use of biological weapons.
  • This project will take a three-pronged approach engaging policymakers and senior level practitioners (e.g. laboratory directors) to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity:
    • Improve the operations and maintenance at high containment laboratories working with dangerous infectious pathogens with a focus on Latin America;
    • Strengthen national policies for oversight of potentially dangerous gain of function research globally;
    • Convene meetings of the global biosafety research agenda group to improve data informed best practices for biorisk management.
• ISN/BPS seeks project proposals that can address all three of the following priority areas:
  • Strengthening Biorisk Management at High Containment Laboratories (~40% of funds)
    • The importance of effective biosafety and biosecurity practices in high containment laboratories is universally acknowledged, but the rapid increase in the number of such laboratories worldwide has not been accompanied by a parallel increase in the development and implementation of policies, regulations, and guidelines for national biorisk management.
  • Promotion of Policies for Research Oversight (~40% of funds)
    • Research to better understand how pathogens cause disease or transmit more effectively in humans can help prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. Having a robust oversight process for such work is important to ensure that effective biosafety measures are in place and biosecurity considerations are taken into account to prevent biological accidents and ensure the information learned is not available for misuse by nefarious actors.
  • Support for Global Biorisk Research Agenda (~20% of funds)
    • In 2020, experts from G7 countries recommended that biosafety protocols be strengthened by ensuring the procedures have strong scientific foundations and can be shared and standardized. Existing biosafety practices often lack scientific evidence and are simply based on “what seems to work” rather than informed through scientific evidence. These practices vary widely between laboratories, including those that perform similar types of research. Finally, data-informed biosafety approaches would better inform needs for laboratory infrastructure and practices across resource settings strengthening global practices regardless of location or resource availability. Standards and practices backed by data would keep America safer by strengthening procedures to prevent laboratory accidents domestically, but also from laboratory accidents abroad to negate impacts on the homeland.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 2,000,000
• Award Ceiling: $2,000,000

Duration

• Length of performance period is 24 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses; U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; foreign-based non-profit organizations/non-government organizations (NGO); Federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs); Public International Organizations (PIO); Foreign Public Entities (FPE); and foreign-based institutions of higher education.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.