The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense – Enabling Biotechnologies (JPEO-CBRND-EB) has released a Request for Information (RFI) on New Approach Methods (NAMs) to support medical countermeasure (MCM) development against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats. In line with broader efforts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance human-relevant nonclinical tools, this RFI seeks to understand how emerging in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico platforms can accelerate drug development timelines more safely, reduce reliance on animal models, and improve prediction of human safety and efficacy.
Overview: A Market Research RFI, Not Yet a Funding Opportunity
JPEO-CBRND-EB has made it clear that this announcement is a market research RFI, not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment to fund specific awards. The Enabling Biotechnologies portfolio supports the discovery, optimization, and manufacturing of MCMs that enable warfighter preparedness, prevention, protection, response, and recovery from CBRN threats. Within that mission, the Chemical and Biological Incident Preparedness and Response (CBIPR) Program is exploring NAMs that can lower the cost and duration of in vivo testing while improving the predictive value of human-relevant data.
NAMs are defined broadly in this context. They include computational modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems, microphysiological systems (MPS), and other in vitro approaches that augment, reduce, or replace animal-based nonclinical testing. JPEO-CBRND-EB is particularly interested in NAMs capable of recapitulating CBRN exposure and disease states, informing human dose projections, and supporting or replacing key pharmacologic and toxicologic studies that are currently dependent on animal models. Target technologies are expected to be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to 6, other maturity levels may be considered with sufficient supporting data.
What JPEO-CBRND-EB Wants to Learn from Industry
The RFI requests structured responses across three primary areas: New Approach Methodologies for CBRN use cases, technology readiness and intellectual property, and developer profile and capabilities.
A. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for CBRN Use Cases
Respondents are asked to describe model systems, tests, or capabilities (including in silico models) and explain how these platforms reproduce key features of CBRN exposure, biological responses, and MCM dose, efficacy, or toxicology.
JPEO-CBRND-EB wants to understand:
- How the NAM fits into the MCM development process, including specific decision points it informs.
- Which nonclinical pharmacology, toxicology, or efficacy studies the NAM can support or replace.
- The accuracy, precision, and applicability of predictions at both individual and population levels.
- Whether the capability is intended for research and development use or for regulated applications supporting formal regulatory requirements.
Developers should also outline the experimental inputs or data pipelines required to use the NAM, including any training data for predictive models; identify critical reagents, cell lines, and supply chain considerations; provide information on operational speed and throughput; and describe key differentiators relative to commercially available alternatives. The RFI explicitly encourages discussion of AI and ML capabilities that can augment NAMs, accelerate toxicology or other in vivo studies, and support pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic projections.
B. Technology Readiness, Intellectual Property, and Technology Transfer
JPEO-CBRND-EB is asking respondents to self-assess TRL, with an expectation of at least proof of concept and experimental demonstration. Respondents should indicate whether the NAM is already commercially available and, if not, propose a pathway to create a minimum viable product ready for end-users.
The RFI further requests:
- A summary of intellectual property (IP) associated with the technology.
- An assessment of how easily the technology can be transferred to government or customer laboratories, including training needs, facility requirements, and maintenance burden.
- A description of willingness and readiness to license, install, or otherwise transfer the technology to U.S. government facilities or third parties, along with how training, installation, and ongoing support are managed.
C. Developer Profile, Manufacturing, and Service Offerings
To understand who is behind each NAM, JPEO-CBRND-EB asks for a brief organizational profile, including an approximate number of employees and locations. Respondents should describe current fabrication, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities for both components and complete systems, as well as any gaps that must be addressed to field the technology at scale.
On the computational side, the RFI highlights interest in unique modeling and high-throughput data pipeline capabilities that support NAM deployment, including the ability to generate or manage data used to train or parameterize models. Finally, companies are invited to describe fee-for-service offerings related to in vitro or in vivo testing, and any contract research capabilities for test development and customization around the NAM technology.
Key Dates and Submission Logistics
There is one primary date for interested organizations to track:
- November 28, 2025 – Responses to the RFI are due. Interested parties should submit a presentation or white paper of no more than 5 pages, with up to 3 supporting or promotional attachments, via email
Timely, well-structured responses will help shape JPEO-CBRND-EB’s future acquisition strategy and any subsequent solicitations.
Funding, Awards, and Period of Performance
Because this announcement is an RFI for information and planning purposes, JPEO-CBRND-EB does not specify:
- The expected number of awards.
- The anticipated size or range of potential awards.
- Any period of performance or project duration.
Those details, if the government elects to move forward with a funded solicitation, would be provided in a future Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), RFP, or another contract vehicle. For now, the strategic opportunity for industry and academia is to influence requirements, demonstrate capability fit, and position NAM platforms for downstream CBRN MCM programs.
Why This Matters for Human Health - And How EverGlade Can Help
The technologies described in this RFI have the potential to transform how the United States develops and fields medical countermeasures against chemical agents, biological threats, radiological exposures, and nuclear incidents. By replacing or augmenting animal studies with NAMs that better predict human responses, JPEO-CBRND-EB can shorten development timelines, reduce failure rates in later-stage studies, and deliver safer, more effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to both warfighters and civilian populations facing CBRN risks.
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