Limited Competition: Resources and Workforce Development for the Regional Biocontainment Laboratories

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) seeks to advance its mission by providing critical resources, staff and facilities support for the Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs). The RBLs provide biosafety level 2 and 3 (BSL-2/3) biocontainment facilities for research on infectious diseases. They play a critical role in public health emergency response by facilitating key activities related to infectious disease outbreaks and biosafety/biosecurity concerns. Congress has denoted the RBLs a NIAID research priority. This program will provide multi-year funding for facility maintenance, operations and biocontainment-specific training for personnel to maintain a capable BSL-3 level workforce in the United States. This is a Forecast for a Limited Competition that will invite application(s) from eligible organization(s) to apply. Please see the Eligibility Section for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the application(s) will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious application(s) will be considered for funding. Grant authorities that allow NIAID to forecast this opportunity are as follows: Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.

Eligible ApplicantsUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamTulane UniversityUniversity of TennesseeGeorge Mason UniversityDuke UniversityRutgers UniversityTufts UniversityUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of MissouriUniversity of LouisvilleColorado State University

The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of: (1) The scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; (2) the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; (3) the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; (4) the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; (5) the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and (6) the relevance and importance to announced program objectives. The following criteria will be used in considering the scientific and technical merit of SBIR/STTR Phase I grant applications: (1) The soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; (2) the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; (3) the technological innovation of the proposed research; (4) the potential of the proposed research for commercial application; (5) the appropriateness of the budget requested; (6) the adequacy and suitability of the facilities and research environment; and (7) where applicable, the adequacy of assurances detailing the proposed means for (a) safeguarding human or animal subjects, and/or (b) protecting against or minimizing any adverse effect on the environment. Phase II grant applications will be reviewed based upon the following criteria: (1) The degree to which the Phase I objectives were met and feasibility demonstrated; (2) the scientific...