The Biological Threat Reduction Program of the Department of Defense From Foreign Assistance to Sustainable Partnerships (2007) / Chapter Skim
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3 U.S. Government-Wide Biological Threat Reduction Programs and Interagency Coordination
3 U.S. Government-Wide Biological Threat Reduction Programs and Interagency Coordination
Pages 43-56
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From page 43... ...
government efforts aimed at limiting the proliferation of expertise, materials, facilities, and technologies that could be used in development of biological weapons. Nonproliferation programs are also carried out by the Departments of State (DOS)
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. Program FY 2006 FY 2007 DOD Biological Threat Reduction Programa $ 21.6 $ 15.5 • Program Administration $ 1.3 $ 0.5 • Infrastructure Elimination $ 45.8 $ 48.7 • Biosecurity and TADR $ 1.0 $ 6.1 • Cooperative Biological Research DOS $ 0.7 $ 0.9 • Science & Technology Centers $ 10.0 $ 7.0 • Bio-Industry Initiative $ 3.9 $ 8.0 • Global Biosecurity Engagement Program Bio-Chem Engagement Programb $ 15.1 $ 5.7 • DHHS: Biotechnology $ 7.6 $ 2.3 Engagement Program (BTEP)
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This departmental orientation is of particular importance in selecting diseases that are of interest and in orienting international activities to complement domestic research programs that are under way in the United States. Department of State DOS is responsible for four programs that address global biological threats.
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was applied to biothreat projects in the former Soviet Union. However, declining overall budgets within DOS for cooperative threat reduction activities and expanding program responsibilities will likely result in reduced DOS-funded activity for biology-oriented projects in the region in FY 2007 and beyond.
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In some ways, the NSC strategy mirrors a related strategy dealing with homeland security that links reduction of biological threats to improving threat awareness, developing prevention and protection tools, enhancing surveillance and detection, and developing response and recovery capabilities.2 BEP's objective is to promote legitimate bioscience research while recognizing the confluence of bioterrorism threats, emerging infectious diseases, and the rapid expansion of biotechnology. BEP's initial focus areas are South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East; and programs emphasize ensuring the physical security of pathogens, upgrading laboratory biosafety procedures, and improving approaches for combating infectious diseases.
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From page 48... ...
Planned future activities include engaging Japan on ways to minimize biological threats, developing Asian biosecurity standards, engaging Egypt on threat reduction, continuing workshops and related activities in Thailand and Malaysia, and conducting preliminary discussions with Pakistan and Yemen. Department of Health and Human Services The Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP)
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From page 49... ...
Built on a strong existing base of ARS global activity, the program had 55 projects active as of February 2007, with 16 additional projects already completed and 17 more under development.5 The program supports projects in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan with the following objectives: • Reduce the threat of chemical and biological weapons development and deployment • Advance agricultural science by supporting types of expertise of particular importance in the region • Enhance the effectiveness and productivity of ARS research programs • Improve Eurasian economies through advances in agricultural technology Projects focus on the three broad areas of animal health and production, natural resources, and crop health and production. Each project must have one or more U.S.
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This program is implemented through cooperative projects involving former Soviet weapons specialists, DOE's national laboratories, and U.S. industry.
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It is likely that future IPP projects will continue to engage biological institutes in the states of the former Soviet Union, predominately in Russia. Although the funding levels and numbers of projects will depend on the merits of individual projects, DOE anticipates that biology projects will continue to command 15 to 20 percent of the total available funding for redirection activities.
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GAO observed that biological redirection programs have "clearly delineated roles and responsibilities, regular interaction, and dispute resolution procedures." 6 The report goes on to say that the agencies implementing programs reported no coordination difficulties and that the NSC guidelines and regular information sharing ensure that the departments and agencies are aware of each other's program activities and help avoid duplication of efforts. The interagency process also benefits from department-level internal scientific and policy reviews that feed into the interagency process.
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Congress may earmark BTRP funds for use outside the FSU, which will require greater attention to the most effective use of BTRP as well as capabilities of related programs in other countries. As previously noted, BTRP receives by far the largest share of funding available to the departments and agencies for biological threat reduction activities, and BTRP's proportion of the overall budgets for cooperative threat reduction funding is increasing.
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Such a structure could help match interagency policy-driven objectives to program implementation mechanisms and capabilities across a spectrum of activities ranging from initial engagement of former weapons specialists to broadly based scientific collaboration. The U.S.Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program, which has operated since 1965, offers important lessons in this regard, particularly the mutual benefits from sustained research engagement on a wide variety of research issues.
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Consideration should be given to establishing a global competitive grants program funded and administered on an interagency basis to encourage American academics to become engaged in international biological programs with important nonproliferation benefits. Project development grants could facilitate initial scientist-to-scientist contacts.
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BTRP is by far the largest U.S. government engagement program dedicated to countering international biological terrorism that could impact on the United States; therefore this program is especially well suited to catalyze and leverage the vast, high-quality educational, scientific, and entrepreneurial resources of the nation in the struggle with bioterrorism.
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