Deadline: 31-Jul-25
The ISN/CTR’s Chemical Security Program (CSP) is a counterproliferation program designed to prevent U.S. adversaries from acquiring the materials, equipment, and expertise needed to advance chemical weapons (CW) programs that threaten U.S. national security.
Goals and Objectives
- CSP directly advances administration priorities by targeting and disrupting Iran’s illicit proliferation networks, limiting its ability to pursue and employ chemical weapons and broader WMD capabilities in line with National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2). CSP also reinforces U.S. counter-WMD strategy by preventing the DRPK’s access to chemical weapons materials and expertise, upholding global nonproliferation norms, and denying adversaries critical capabilities that threaten U.S. security and interests.
- To achieve the above, CSP engages foreign public and private sector stakeholders to sensitize them to the expanding nature of CW threats, mobilizing and equipping them with the knowledge and tools to take measures to counter these threats, and fostering connectivity among key constituencies to advance nonproliferation efforts.
- Objectives
- Identify and disrupt the transfer of chemical precursors, laboratory research and chemical production equipment, and expertise to proliferator state CW programs by:
- Intensifying open-source research about ongoing or potential state-specific CW proliferation pathways including land, air, and maritime routes for CW materials and related equipment as well exploitation of unwitting research partners to support diplomatic engagement, partner government investigations, and private industry compliance efforts;
- Disrupting procurement networks for precursors of highly potent pharmaceuticals, including but not limited to central nervous system-acting (CNS-acting) chemicals;
- Training producers, manufacturers, distributors, resellers, shipping agents, or others along the supply chain of CW-relevant goods, materials, and production equipment to adopt employee vetting and know-your-customer (KYC) programs to ensure chemicals and equipment are not diverted to malicious state actors or front companies operating on their behalf;
- Training government and private industry on implementing CW-related sanctions;
- Enhancing government oversight of proliferation-sensitive supply chains by advancing cross-sector collaboration and information sharing between government agencies, law enforcement, industry, and academic stakeholders.
- Enhance global efforts to deter CW use through response and attribution by:
- Improving partner states’ defensive countermeasures by training first responders (including national CBRN units, frontline medical staff, and poison control centers) to identify and characterize early indicators of CW attacks and make recommendations to decision-makers for diagnosis, decontamination, protection, and medical treatment;
- Improving information sharing among first responders, law enforcement, and government stakeholders;
- Build capacity to support international analysis and verification efforts by facilitating discussions on existing laboratory capabilities, identifying strengths in national laboratory networks, and building capacity to participate in the Chemical Weapons Convention Chemical Analysis Competency Test (CCACT);
- Strengthening the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate chemical attacks, manage crime scenes that are contaminated with chemical materials, and attribute the chemicals involved to their sources or intermediate handling; and
- Developing trainings, field exercises, lectures, tabletop exercises (TTXs), and hands-on field training that tackle chemical threat scenarios and utilize technologies to respond to and attribute chemical attacks.
- Reinforce global norms against CW research, production, stockpiling, and use and promoting Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) implementation by:
- Building partner governments’ capacities to comply with CWC Conference on States Parties decisions, including decisions related to aerosolized use of CNS-acting chemicals in conjunction with law enforcement purposes; and
- Providing tailored assistance to support more effective government and industry risk mitigation to address new chemical security threats (e.g., new or modified chemical agents not included in CWC schedules or new technologies or equipment to facilitate production or use of CW) and empower governments, NGOs, and individuals to advocate for the CWC and its decisions without placing undue burdens on trade and business.
- Prevent non-state actor CW attacks targeting the United States and its partners and allies by, in addition to the activities described above:
- Engaging partner governments’ ability to identify vulnerable chemicals of concern in their jurisdictions and support relevant stakeholders in securing them in accordance with international best practices.
- Identify and disrupt the transfer of chemical precursors, laboratory research and chemical production equipment, and expertise to proliferator state CW programs by:
Funding Information
- Total available funding: $4,000,000 pending availability of funds
- Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000 (approximately)
Duration
- Length of performance period is 12-24 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.