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, was launched Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), DHS announced.
S&T 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.”
The DHS announcement said the NBAF facility under construction in Manhattan, Kansas “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. Through this competition, S&T 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 shall 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 September 30 to November 30, 2015, DHS said.
The public can learn more about the NBAF Think and Do Challenge and find additional participation details at http://www.dhs.gov/nbafchallenge.
For more information about the NBAF and its mission, please visit: /science-and-technology/national-bio-and-agro-defense-facility.
For more information on the DHS S&T InnoPrize Program, please visit: /science-and-technology/prize-competitions.
