Earlier this month, on September 4, the The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the United States Department of War (DoW) released a 10-year interagency agreement (IAA) supporting the advanced development of medical countermeasures for pandemic influenza, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, and emerging infectious diseases.
The agreement brings NIH’s scientific data, product pipelines, and translational expertise together with the acquisition capabilities of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Nuclear Deterrence, Chemical and Biological Defense Policy and Programs, known as OASW ND-CBD. Work supported under the agreement may include therapeutics, diagnostics, personal protective equipment, and technologies that strengthen detection, threat assessment, and readiness.
The agreement took effect in August 2026 and runs through September 30, 2036. It establishes a standing structure for NIH-funded projects to be acquired and administered through OASW ND-CBD when a specific research and development need arises.
How the Agreement Works
The agreement allows NIH to transfer funds to OASW ND-CBD for individual research and development efforts. NIH will coordinate with OASW ND-CBD to develop statements of work, establish estimated costs, and place funding orders before an award is made.
OASW ND-CBD can then use contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions to support the work. It will also provide contractual, technical, and compliance oversight for programs funded under the agreement.
Funding will be tied to specific orders and remains subject to the availability of appropriations. The agreement itself does not obligate funds or identify a fixed funding amount.
Here’s how the roles are divided:
- NIH: Makes scientific data and civilian healthcare product pipelines available for biodefense work, helps shape statements of work and estimated costs, provides funding for individual efforts, and supplies technical oversight.
- OASW ND-CBD: Executes acquisitions through contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions; provides strategy, program management, technical oversight, contractual oversight, and compliance support.
- Both organizations: Coordinate the research agenda, participate in project meetings, and hold at least quarterly progress discussions for efforts covered by the agreement.
Connecting Research and Readiness
Medical countermeasure development requires much more than a compelling scientific idea. Programs must move through product development, nonclinical and clinical validation, manufacturing planning, regulatory strategy, procurement, and deployment planning. They also need to address the needs of the people who will use the technology in a public health response or operational environment.
This agreement provides a structure for NIH and the Department of War to coordinate those activities around shared health security priorities.
NIH retains final authority over requirements and product profiles intended for civilian populations and public health preparedness. OASW ND-CBD retains final authority over requirements and product profiles focused on warfighter protection, military operating environments, and tactical deployment.
The distinction matters. A technology may have relevance for both civilian and defense preparedness, but the performance expectations, operating conditions, logistics, user requirements, and transition plans can be very different.
The agencies will jointly participate in program meetings and hold quarterly discussions to review progress across efforts covered by the agreement.
Medical Countermeasures in Scope
The agreement covers a broad set of health security priorities. OASW ND-CBD may support research and development of medical countermeasures for pandemic influenza, CBRN threats, and emerging infectious diseases.
Potential technology areas include:
- Antiviral therapeutics
- Antibacterial therapeutics
- Antitoxin therapeutics
- Diagnostics
- Personal protective equipment
- Detection and threat-assessment technologies
- Physical protection capabilities
- Medical countermeasure preparedness and response technologies
The agreement also allows the Department of War to modify an existing contract or agreement, or establish a new one, when an additional medical countermeasure need emerges.
That flexibility is useful in health security R&D, where the technical priorities may shift based on new threat information, readiness gaps, scientific progress, and available capabilities.
What to Watch Across Funding
The agreement does not announce a dedicated solicitation or guarantee future awards. Each project will require a specific scope, cost estimate, NIH funding order, and acquisition action before work can begin.
Still, the agreement is important context for organizations developing technologies relevant to biodefense, public health preparedness, and operational medical countermeasures. It establishes the infrastructure for NIH research priorities and Department of War acquisition capabilities to come together on individual efforts.
Opportunities may appear through several channels, including:
- NIH funding announcements
- Department of War research and development opportunities
- BARDA solicitations and partner-led funding mechanisms
- Traditional federal contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements
- Other Transaction opportunities
- Consortium opportunities
- Requests for Information, Special Notices, and industry engagement events
Companies should avoid assuming that relevant opportunities will sit within a single agency or follow a single acquisition format. The agreement specifically allows OASW ND-CBD to use contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions based on the requirements of each effort.
Why It Is Worth Tracking
The September 4 release did not include a dedicated solicitation or announce immediate awards. The agreement establishes the groundwork for NIH and the Department of War to coordinate future medical countermeasure research and development activities over the next decade.
For organizations developing technologies relevant to pandemic preparedness, CBRN defense, diagnostics, therapeutics, PPE, or emerging infectious diseases, the agreement is useful context for understanding how future requirements may be shaped, funded, and acquired across the federal health security landscape.
EverGlade helps life sciences and technology innovators navigate the full federal funding lifecycle, from opportunity assessment and technical positioning through proposal development, award negotiation, compliance, and post-award execution. For companies at the intersection of health security, biodefense, and advanced R&D, schedule a free consultation with our team to discuss opportunities.
