Updates

Department of Homeland Security Selects Contractors for New Biological Detection Systems

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For Immediate ReleasePress OfficeContact: 202-282-8010April 1, 2004

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directoratetoday announced that more than a dozen teams (listed below) have been selectedfor contract negotiations with the Homeland Security Advanced Research ProjectsAgency (HSARPA).  These contractors will be expected to conduct researchand development leading to next generation biological detection sensors andsystems.  

"These awards dramatically enhance our efforts to meet some of HomelandSecurity's  most immediate technology needs, defending against biologicaland chemical threats" said Dr. Charles E. McQueary, Under Secretary,Science and Technology.  "Working with the private sector isabsolutely essential to creating effective and affordable technologies toprotect the nation."

Under the agreement these teams will have access to approximately $48 millionto conduct the first phase of projects related to biological countermeasuresover the next eighteen months, depending on topic area.  Team leadersselected for each biological sensor effort are listed below:

Bioagent Autonomous Networked Detectors (BAND) -"detect-to-treat" system for round-the-clock, distributed monitoringof outdoor urban areas for bacteria, viruses and toxins

  • Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation of Linthicum, MD
  • MicroFluidic Systems, Inc. of Pleasanton, CA
  • Science Applications International, Inc. of San Diego, CA
  • U.S. Genomics, Inc. of  Woburn, MA
  • IQuum, Inc. of Allston, MA
  • Nanolytics, Inc. of Raleigh, NC

Rapid Automated Biologicalentification System (RABIS) -"detect-to-protect" system for round-the-clock, distributed indoormonitoring of buildings and selected outdoor locations for bacteria, viruses andtoxins

  • Sarnoff Corporation of Princeton, NJ
  • Brimrose Corporation of Baltimore, MD
  • Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory of Laurel, MD
  • Ionian Technologies, Inc. of Upland, CA
  • Goodrich Corporation of Danbury, CT
  • Battelle Memorial Institute of Aberdeen, MD
  • Physical Sciences, Inc. of Andover, MA
  • Research Triangle Institute of Research Triangle Park, NC

These teams were selected from among 518 White Papers submitted in responseto HSARPA's first competitive solicitation issued in September 2003.   Ofthat group, 75 contractors were invited to submit full proposals.  Thesefourteen teams are the product of a rigorous competitive proposal evaluation bya panel of government experts.

"We are proud to support these teams as they begin this importantresearch in the area of biological detection" said Dr. David Bolka,Director, HSARPA. "Today's announcement is the first of many solicitationsand awards HSARPA will release across a broad spectrum of homeland securityscience and technology issues in the coming months."

HSARPA will soon announce the leaders of additional teams selected throughthis solicitation in the chemical detection areas.  In addition, the agencyhas recently released a solicitation for radiological and nuclearcountermeasures detection systems.  HSARPA also plans to release additionalsolicitations this year for: high explosives detection and neutralization; cybersecurity; and threat assessment.  

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorateserves as the primary research and development arm of the Department, utilizingour nation's scientific and technological resources to provide federal, stateand local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect thehomeland.