BiodefenseDHS S&T launches $100,000 prize competition to support NBAF facility

Published 6 October 2015

DHS S&T announced the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Think and Do Challenge, a prize competition that seeks ideas to leverage NBAF resources in order to conduct research to protect the nation’s animal agricultural industry and public health. S&T says that it will award up to $100,000 to help fund the development or implementation of winning submissions through the NBAF Think and Do Challenge, under the authority of the America COMPETES Act.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) the other day launched the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Think and Do Challenge, a prize competition that seeks ideas to leverage NBAF resources in order to conduct research to protect the nation’s animal agricultural industry and public health.

S&T says that it will award up to $100,000 to help fund the development or implementation of winning submissions through the NBAF Think and Do Challenge, under the authority of the America COMPETES Act.

“The NBAF will open in 2022, but we are laying the groundwork now for its future success,” said DHS S&T Undersecretary Dr. Reginald Brothers. “The Think and Do Challenge is a catalyst for developing a sound plan and smart strategy to enable the new laboratory to leverage and build upon existing resources and capabilities to better protect the nation’s livestock and public health.”

Now under construction in Manhattan, Kansas, NBAF will be a state-of-the-art, biocontainment laboratory for the study of diseases that threaten both America’s animal agricultural industry and public health. S&T says that through this competition, it will work to find the best solutions that will propose instruments that help seed collaboration, innovation, talent or training, and enhance the NBAF’s ability to establish strong bonds with related communities of interest to spur innovation and success.

Submissions to this prize competition should include a written business plan that must clearly articulate an understanding of the solution and its impact in providing high-value, creative, and specialized collaboration, innovation, talent, or training to the innovation ecosystem. The open period for submissions is from 30 September to 30 November 2015.

The public can learn more about the NBAF Think and Do Challenge and find additional participation details at NBAF Challenge.

See here for more information about the NBAF and its mission, and here for more information on the DHS S&T InnoPrize Program.