Program Overview Rads to Watts is a DARPA program dedicated to pioneering innovative methods for directly converting nuclear radiation into electricity, with a primary emphasis on radiation voltaics (also known as radiovoltaics). The program’s long-term goal is to develop radiovoltaic systems capable of transforming high-power nuclear radiation into kilowatts of electrical energy. Achieving operation at […]
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Advanced Disease Outbreaks Simulation Capabilities The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a new Request for Information (RFI) titled “Advanced Disease Outbreaks Simulation Capabilities” (DARPA-SN-25-72). This announcement seeks insights from the research and development community on cutting-edge outbreak modeling tools to increase understanding of outbreak dynamics and improve future public health emergency preparedness.
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Reimagining the Future of Vaccines: DTRA’s RAVEN RFI The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), through its Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO), has announced a new Request for Information (RFI) under the initiative titled Reimagining Available Vaccines and Envisioning Novelty (RAVEN). This RFI reflects DTRA’s responsibility to prepare the U.S. warfighter for current and emerging
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Promoting Domestic Production of Critical Medicines The White House is pushing to see more state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities within the United States to strengthen the supply of essential medicines. On May 5, 2025, the President signed an Executive Order titled “Regulatory Relief to Promote Domestic Production of Critical Medicines.” The goal of this order is
A New Direction: Host-Directed, Not Pathogen-Specific Unlike traditional antivirals or antibiotics, host-directed therapeutics (HDTs) focus on modulating the patient’s immune response rather than targeting a specific pathogen. This “threat-agnostic” approach is especially promising in an era marked by evolving biological agents and unpredictable infectious threats. The DoD is particularly interested in repurposed FDA-approved therapeutics or
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Why It Matters The rise of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strains like H5N1, their spread to livestock, and increasing zoonotic infections in the U.S. has underscored the need for rapid, accurate immune assay infrastructure. BARDA’s RRPV initiative calls for laboratories with existing capabilities to function as a central immunoassay laboratory and perform quality-assured immunoassays
NSCEB Final Report: Charting the Future of Biotechnology in America The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) has released its final report, “Charting the Future of Biotechnology: An Action Plan for American Security and Prosperity.” This document outlines a strategic roadmap emphasizing the need for the United States to significantly increase investment—recommending a minimum
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Strengthening America’s Defense: The Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue Manufacturing Initiative In an era where rapid technological advancement is crucial for national security, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has launched the Blue Manufacturing Initiative. This strategic program aims tobolster the United States defense manufacturing capabilities by fostering partnerships with trustedadvanced manufacturing companies. Addressing Critical Challenges The
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The Foci of PROSPR ARPA-H-SOL-25-125, PROSPR The PROSPR solicitation outlines a comprehensive, multi-year program structured around the development, validation, and deployment of novel health technologies. The program is divided into three primary technical areas (TAs), each addressing a critical component of healthspan extension: TA1 focuses on developing a PROSPR Intrinsic Capacity (IC) score that quantifies
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Project UPREG: DTRA’s Push for Enhanced Protection Against Nerve Agents The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO), has launched Project UPREG, a bold initiative to develop next-generation medical countermeasures against organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs). These highly toxic compounds pose a
HPAI Innovation Notice Of Funding Opportunity (1) Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has led to the culling of millions of birds, raised egg prices, and threatens the U.S. food supply, poultry producers, and agricultural economy worldwide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a bold new initiative to combat HPAI,
USDA Launches $100 Million Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge to Combat Avian Flu Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is undergoing one of the most significant structural transformations in its history. This realignment affects not only public health preparedness and biomedical innovation but also the broader operational framework, including funding mechanisms, programmatic leadership, and cross-agency coordination structures that supports millions of Americans across health care,
