BioWatch Program: 2014-2015

Post Date

February 25th 2014

Application Due Date

September 30th 2015

Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-2014-OHA-BIOWATCH

CFDA Number(s)

97.091

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Cooperative Agreement

Funding Activity Categories

Disaster Prevention and Relief
Environment
Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Number of Awards

27

Eligibility Categories

State Governments
County Governments
City or Township Governments

State and Local Governments must be invited by DHS to apply. DHS will invite governmental organizations to apply for continuation funding under this FOA. In addition, as part of ongoing improvements in the BioWatch Program, DHS may evaluate requests for some direct support of laboratories that analyze samples collected under the Program. If necessary, this FOA will also award an unspecified number of supplemental awards to current recipients in the event of emergencies, Special Events with National Significance, and limited alterations to current recipients to ensure a secure and resilient nation with the capabilities to thwart terrorist attacks.

Funding

• Estimated Total Funding:

  $29000000

• Award Range:

  $178220 - $4500000

Grant Description

The BioWatch Program is a cornerstone of the Department of Homeland Securityуs (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 Programуs mission is to provide and maintain a continuous bio-terrorism air monitoring system in metropolitan areas and coordinate with state and local public health communities to prepare for and respond to a bioterrorist event. This mission is accomplished by serving as an early warning system which enhances the security of jurisdictions by providing the needed time to execute their comprehensive concept of operations plans to counter biological terrorism. The Biowatch Program is a critical part of an ongoing national effort to build and sustain preparedness which helps the United States to maintain momentum through targeted jurisdictional planning that highlights preventative actions necessary to allow for a proper and timely response and begin the process to recovery from a biological agent release.The BioWatch Evaluation Program (BWEP) will be conducted under the BioWatch Quality Assurance Program effective April 1, 2013. This program will consist of independent external audits (Quality Assurance) by Signature Science and internal audits (Quality Control) by BioWatch Systems Program Office field personnel. This approach will initially be conducted with a focus on adherence to the BioWatch Field Operations Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Version 1.3 and will eventually evolve to encompass the Field Operations Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP). In order to ensure a robust QA / QC program the jurisdictions may be subject to a QA external audit and a QC internal audit during the same cooperative agreement cycle (year).

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of Homeland Security

• Office:

  Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division

• Agency Contact:

  Sean Lilly
  Grants Specialist
  Phone 202-447-5869

• Agency Mailing Address:

  Grants Officer

• Agency Email Address:

  sean.lilly@dhs.gov