The BioWatch Program is a cornerstone of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) comprehensive strategy for countering biological terrorism. The BioWatch Program is an early warning system that is designed to detect the intentional release of select aerosolized biological agents. The BioWatch Program’s mission is to provide and maintain a continuous bio-terrorism air monitoring system in large metropolitan areas and coordinate with state and local public health communities to prepare for and respond to a bioterrorist event. The objectives of this program are: to provide a comprehensive strategy for countering biological terrorism. The BioWatch Program is an early warning system that is designed to detect the intentional release of select aerosolized biological agents. The BioWatch Program’s mission is to deploy, sustain, and maintain a national 24x7x365 operational ability to detect, respond to, mitigate, and recover from a bioterrorist event. The DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) administers the BioWatch program and is currently engaged in advanced development, test, evaluation and operations to improve sampling technologies, collection procedures, sample analysis, and develop and implement a next generation BioWatch system.
None is available.
DHS does not anticipate significant changes in current recipients' operations. Recipients' continuation applications should not propose any new expansions not previously approved by DHS. Applicants should describe how they organize and manage the current operations of local field collection teams who are responsible for the daily BioWatch sample collection activities and routine program maintenance in the jurisdiction(s) using the guidance set forth in the December 2007 BioWatch Field Operations Standard Operating Procedures.
This program is open to existing Biowatch recipients only.
The deadline to submit an application is June 28, 2013.
Twenty seven awards are anticipated under this program. The maximum award is $999,999. Cost sharing is not required.