Location: Office of International Research Engagement and Cooperation
Project Number: 0210-22310-005-032-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Feb 15, 2015
End Date: Feb 14, 2020
Objective:
Under this unfunded interagency agreement, ARS will collaborate with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency/USSTRATCOM Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (DTRA/SSC-WMD) to provide mentorship and scientific training to DTRA Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) partner country scientists for research project development and implementation and subject matter expertise. ARS is one of three USDA signatory agencies on the agreement; the other two are the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Approach:
DTRA/SCC-WMD’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) and USDA ARS, APHIS and FAS share the common goal to collaborate on scientific research, projects and activities to mitigate or reduce the threat from dangerous infectious agents and toxins, either manmade or natural, that are of mutual interest. The Parties’ efforts will pursue the National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats (PPD-2, 2009) objective to promote global health security and may include cooperative biological research, education and outreach programs, bio-safety and bio-security in animal, human and food-borne diseases, projects and activities to improve detection, diagnosis, surveillance, reporting and response to infectious diseases and countering Weapons of Mass Destruction. All collaborative work will be conducted in countries where DTRA/SCC—WMD operates and the Parties have mutual interests.
