November 28, 2017
|
|
Tom Inglesby and Benjamin Haas
The Trump administration has opportunities to make substantial headway on pandemic risks at the national and international levels. Its budget, biodefense strategy, approach to high-consequence research, and engagement on the BWC are all key. The means exist to diminish the spread of pandemics -- through science, intelligence, medical and public health preparedness, diplomacy, and smart governance. For the national security and health of the country, the Trump administration should fully commit to these efforts.
|
|
Public Health & Healthcare Preparedness
|
RESEARCH
Beyond the Dirty Dozen: A Proposed Methodology for Assessing Future Bioweapon Threats. Defense policy planners and countermeasure developers are often faced with vexing problems involving the prioritization of resources and efforts. This is especially true in the area of Biodefense, where each new emerging infectious disease outbreak brings with it questions regarding the causative agent's potential for weaponization. This s
tudy was designed to provide a concise and east-to-apply set of criteria that could be used by NATO nations to evaluate emerging infectious disease threats with respect to their weaponization potential.
(Military Medicine, 11/21/17)
|
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
DoD Accelerating Innovation in Military Medicine Research.
The Accelerating Innovation in Military Medicine (AIMM) Research Award is intended to support highly creative and conceptually innovative high-risk research with the potential to accelerate critical discoveries or major advancements that will significantly impact military health and medicine. AIMM initiative funding supports novel research concepts and other efforts that initiate or enhance potential game-changers that may not be supported by other funding mechanisms or core programs. Applications using synthetic or systems biology-based approaches are highly encouraged.
(Grants.gov, 11/21/17)
|
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
CDC's Collaboration with Academia to Strengthen Public Health Workforce Capacity.
The purpose of this NOFO is to enhance educational and training programs around immunizations; to implement, promote, assess and revise immunization educational programs based on recommendations by experts in immunization and training education resources to be able to efficiently and effectively create reliable training materials and resources for health professionals; and collaborate with partners to build the capacity of immunization providers by providing educational programs that offer continuing education credit to meet licensing or credentialing requirements.
(Grants.gov, 11/21/17)
|
| FELLOWSHIP
Fellowships, Internships, and Learning Opportunities. CDC has issued calls for applications for a number of public health fellowship programs. (CDC, 11/15/17)
|
|
Homeland Security & Disaster Preparedness
|
| LETTER
Letter to the Honorable Paul D. Ryan from Mick Mulvaney (Director, Office of Management and Budget). This year's Atlantic hurricane season has resulted in historic, widespread destruction that continues to affect the lives of millions of Americans. At this time, the Administration is requesting additional fiscal year 2018 funding in the amount of $44 billion and the necessary authorities to address ongoing recovery efforts. (The White House, 11/17/17) |
|
Science & Technology Policy
|
NEWS
DARPA Develops Plants that Could "Sniff" Out Bio-Weapons.
DARPA is developing a project known as the Advanced Plant Technologies program. Engineers once tasked with using traditional gadgets to gather intelligence will now be working with botanists. The biggest feature of the project is using these plants in order to monitor environments, using rigged plants as early warning signs of potential biochemical hazards and weapons.
(Interesting Engineering, 11/24/17)
|
INTERNSHIP
Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research.
Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. Applications for summer 2018 are now open, and are due March 1, 2018.
(NIH, 11/17)
|
The Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis: Perspectives from States, Communities, and Providers. US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. 11/30/17, 10 AM. Dirksen 430.
More
|
Implementing the 21st Century Cures Act: An Update from FDA and NIH. US House Committee on Energy & Commerce, Subcommittee on Health. 11/30/17, 10 AM. Rayburn 2123.
More
|
|
