Regional Biocontainment Laboratories

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Regional Biocontainment Laboratories Scientific
Program Overview
Alicia Dombroski, Ph.D. Program
Officer NIAID Office of Biodefense Research
Affairs Adombroski_at_niaid.nih.gov 301-402-8561 Jul
y 27, 2004
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Purpose of the RBL RFA
Expansion of regional research resources in
support of the NIAID Biodefense Research
Agenda Construction of new BSL-3/2
laboratories for biomedical research and research
training
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Who can apply?

• Non-profit organizations
• Public or private institutions
• Domestic and Non-federal
• institutions only
• Current NBL/RBL awardees are
• NOT eligible

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Who can become Principal Investigator?

• Institutional official at level of Dean or
• equivalent
• Can allocate space and resources for the
• project
• Can provide the necessary assurances and
• commitments

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Basic Program Requirements

• Programming, design, construction, and
• commissioning of NEW Regional
• Biocontainment Labs (RBLs)
• Must include BSL-3 labs, BSL-2 labs, vivarium
• for small animals, and research/operations
• support space
• Encourage inclusion of facilities for
• Non-human primates
• Aerobiology
• GLP compliance

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Mechanism of Support
UC6 Construction Cooperative Agreement

• PI retains primary responsibility for project in
  all
• phases of design and construction
• Substantial NIH scientific and programmatic
  involvement
• Support, stimulate, facilitate process
• Monitor progress
• Coordinate activities between RBLs, NBLs, RCEs

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• Scientific Mission
• Must support NIAID-funded biodefense and
  emerging infectious diseases research and
  research training
• Association with an existing or proposed RCE is
  NOT required
• Must document expected users
• Priority NIAID biodefense research
• Other NIAID research
• Other NIH research

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Regional Responsibilities

• RBLs will serve as a regional research resource
  to all NIAID-approved research organizations in
  the area
• RBLs will be prepared to assist in the event of
  a bioterrorism emergency
• RBLs will NOT be first responders, but will
  assist local and state public health agencies by
  providing expertise and use of facilities

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RBLs will be members of the NIAID Biodefense
Network
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NIAID Biodefense Network Functions

• Interactions between NIAID program
• staff, RCEs, NBLs, and RBLs

• Annual meeting of Network members
• Direction and scope of biodefense and
• emerging infectious disease research
• Progress toward Biodefense agenda goals
• Scientific coordination, new research
• opportunities, collaborations, priorities