BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM:
The U.S. Department of State, Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP)'s mission is to secure and protect against the misuse of high consequence pathogens, synthetic biological materials, biotechnologies, genomic data, life sciences research, laboratory infrastructure, and related equipment for biological weapons purposes. BEP helps foreign partners develop biosecurity policy, guidance, and technical capabilities to promote the adoption or compliance with relevant international best practices and frameworks including the BWC. BEP also supports the legitimate use of biological materials and equipment necessary to combat infectious diseases and enhance public and animal health worldwide.
NATURE OF ASSISTANCE:
BEP can support projects that build partner capacity across a variety of topics, including enhancing biosecurity risk assessment capacity, securing synthetic biology, toxicology, and genomic research, establishing national control mechanisms for bio- and genomic data security, promoting biorisk management training and certification, preventing cybersecurity threats in biological laboratories, supporting the UNSGM mechanism, and countering illicit access to expertise, materials, and equipment necessary to conduct biological attacks.
TIMING:
BEP notice of funding opportunities are opened on or about November 1 annually with a deadline of January 31 for one-year funding, with limited off-cycle funding opportunities. Funds are released on or around the start of the fiscal year (October).
FREQUENCY:
Funding decisions are made annually.
SPECIFIC COUNTRIES OF INTEREST OR OTHER RELEVANT CRITERIA FOR ASSISTANCE:
BEP works worldwide and concentrates its efforts against the most urgent biological threats or biological proliferation concerns.
