Tagged: Kansas Bioscience Authority

The President's budget, which was made public yesterday, pegs $150 million for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. That's the Level 4 laboratory designed to test highly contagious pathogens and foreign animal diseases operated by the Department of Homeland Security. DHS awarded the $650 million project to K-State a couple of years ago.

Officials told reporters in a teleconference yesterday they were happy with the budget proposal.

Two reports came out this week about the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF.

The Department of Homeland Security released a risk assessment for the site, scheduled to begin construction in 2012 in Manhattan, Kan.

The National Academy of Sciences followed with a Congressionally mandated evaluation of that assessment.

Salina, KS – The Kansas Bioscience Authority has pledged more than $9 million over the next five years to bring five prominent cancer researchers to the University of Kansas Cancer Center.

The Kansas Bioscience Authority said at its annual meeting this week that the USDA will partner with Kansas to promote bioscience research.

The KBA says the partnership is a huge benefit to existing efforts to collaborate with local and state governments. The KBA also collaborates extensively with venture capital companies. The KBA has invested 50 million dollars in bioscience research, and has attracted a number of firms to the area who have promised to invest up to 200 million dollars.

A report from the Government Accountability Office questions how the Department of Homeland Security determined the safety of six sites for a proposed animal disease research lab. Manhattan, Kan., was selected as the site for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF.

A draft report argues DHS used poor techniques to determine how diseases would spread if they were accidentally released.