Biosecurity Engagement Program

On behalf of the Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP), Sandia National Laboratories Global Chemical and Biological Security Group (SNL/GCBS) is hosting a 3-day workshop in Bucharest, Romania to raise awareness of biosecurity threats to biological research institutions and enhance research security measures for international research collaborations in the biosciences. The workshop will provide an overview of security considerations for biological research activity, including an overview of dual-use research areas and exploitation risk associated with international research collaborations. Participants will learn fundamentals of risk assessment and identify mitigation strategies which can be implemented to improve research security practices at their institutions.

Objectives

By the end of the workshop, participants will

1. Demonstrate increased awareness of security threats and considerations relevant to research activities in the biosciences. Participants will demonstrate awareness of dual-use research areas and exploitation risk associated with foreign interference in research.
2. Demonstrate comprehension in risk assessment fundamentals; the assessment, mitigation and performance model for biorisk management. Participants will critically evaluate how risk assessment frameworks can be applied to evaluate risk associated with research activities.
3. Identify strategies to mitigate risk associated with research activity. Participants will identify mitigations for potential integration at their institutions and develop an implementation plan.

Participation

This workshop is intended for laboratory technicians, researchers and associate researchers, research compliance staff, and biorisk management advisors / biosafety officers at organizations conducting biological research activity in Romania and Georgia. Participants from all One Health sectors including public health, veterinary, and environmental sectors are encouraged to register.  Interested individuals may register for the workshop at the Plone website linked below. Sandia National Laboratories will select participants for the workshop based on appropriateness of role, responsibility and location.

Selected participants will be provided,

1. A copy of training materials in printed and digital form, translated into a primary language as requested. Participants requesting translation and interpretation are encouraged to indicate their needs in the registration survey.
2. Hospitalities including lunch, tea breaks, and per diem to cover the duration of the workshop.
3. Transportation to and from the workshop venue (for non-local participants only). Logistics for participants will be identified, selected and procured by SNL ahead of the engagement.
4. Lodging for the duration of the workshop (for non-local participants only). Logistics for participants will be identified, selected and procured by SNL ahead of the engagement.

Interested individuals must submit their contact information, a curriculum vitae or resume, and passport or national identification information to be considered for the workshop. Provided information will be protected as Personally Identifiable Information and distributed only to individuals with a Need to Know for workshop planning and logistics coordination.

Please use the “Registration” Tab on the top, righthand side of this webpage to register.

Hybrid International Air Transport Association (IATA) Shipping of Infectious Substances and Biological Specimens Workshop

Abuja, Nigeria 25-27 September 2023

On the behalf of the US Department of State Biosecurity Engagement Program, (BEP), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)/Global Chemical-Biological Security (GCBS) and Nigerian Biorisk Management (BRM) experts will conduct a 3-day workshop on International Air Transport Association (IATA) Shipping of Infectious Substances and Biological Specimens and Novel Low Cost/Sustainable Packaging Methods for Nigerian laboratories. The IATA training and introduction to introduction to infectious substance packaging solution conducted 25-27 September 2023 in  Abuja, Nigeria with two Nigerian co-trainers and SNL/GCBS participating virtually.

Overview                                                 

SNL/GCBS and Nigerian BRM experts will train laboratorians in accordance with IATA/Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA/DGR) to instill safe and secure transport and shipping practices of especially dangerous pathogens within and outside Nigeria. Trainers will guide participants in understanding international regulations and best practices for shipping infectious substances, including select agents. The IATA Workshop will provide a pathway to sustainable safe and secure transport and shipping of especially dangerous pathogens by IATA/DGR within Nigeria. Following the IATA training, SNL/GCBS and Nigerian BRM experts will present an infectious substance packaging design and field test survey results with opportunity for hands-on practice assembling the materials.

Outcomes

The training utilizes group discussions and interactive exercises focused on the essential areas of infectious substance shipping. The workshop is hands on, practical, and competency base.  Participants will have the opportunity to mark, label, package, and complete documentation for a variety of infectious substances shipments (Category A, Category B, and Exempt Patient Specimens).  The training is designed for personnel responsible for packaging, marking, and labeling shipments of all categories of infectious substances, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen.  A final written examination will be administered on the second day.  Participants must score at least 80% to receive a certificate indicating they have successfully completed IATA-based training.  They can be certified by their employer to ship Infectious Substances and Biological Specimens.

Agenda Overview

Registration

Participants must register at the registration tab above. Once registration has been approved, participants will receive a Letter of Invitation.

Contacts

Eric Cook, MPH - encook@sandia.gov 

Celine West, MS - cnwest@sandia.gov                                  

Marisa Rivera - meriver@sandia.gov

This training is supported by the U.S. Department of State, and as such, is required to adhere to U.S. government foreign assistance requirements as outlined in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. U.S. Department of State support requires that participation in the training be in compliance with U.S. laws, regulations, and policies including the Leahy Law and the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons list. To demonstrate excellence as stewards of these funds, the U.S. Department of State is also required to verify partner nationality to ensure compliance with authorities bestowed by the U.S. Congress. The data will be officially categorized according to U.S. Government classification standards to ensure protection of personally identifiable information of our foreign partners.

Introduction

On behalf of the U.S. Department of State Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction’s Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) subject matter experts (SMEs) will conduct an in-person 3-day workshop in Cape Town, South Africa for up-to 18 stakeholders from public, private, and academic laboratories and industry sectors representing Information Technology (IT) Professionals, Biorisk Managers, Bioethicists, Laboratory Leadership, and Scientists and Nonproliferation Professionals.  The workshop will cover establishing institutional role-based competencies in cybersecurity awareness, training requirements, and educational needs to secure information technology and operational technology.

Participants

Participants are expected from public, private, industry, and academic sectors who hold critical biosecurity and cybersecurity roles. Individuals' management/leadership (involved in fostering/engaging with collaborators/sponsors, and developing facility policies and guidelines), Information Technology (IT) professionals who implement policies, biorisk management advisors or biosafety/bioethics officers who are responsible for the biorisk posture of the organizations, and those with roles in promoting adoption of technology advances for civilian and peaceful uses.

Workshop Objectives

Workshop objectives are to:

• Raise awareness to the topic of cybersecurity and show recent, real world examples of how cyber-bio convergence affects the bio-technology space.
• Discuss cybersecurity frameworks, cybersecurity risk, and risk mitigation measures.
• Define roles & responsibilities as related to cybersecurity.
• Provide participants with current knowledge on cybersecurity best practice that can be mapped to a role-based competency framework and establish institutional role-based competencies in cybersecurity.

On behalf of the United States Department of State Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (US DOS CTR), Sandia National Laboratories’ Global Chemical and Biological Security team (SNL GCBS) will deliver a Know Your Collaborator/Student/Advisor (KYC/S/A) webinar for research scientists from Peru. 

The workshop will engage a diverse set of Peruvian stakeholders from the academic and private industry to provide in-person training and awareness-raising on the risks presented by working with unknown foreign partners. The workshop will provide informative sessions that help scientists identify indicators of scientific contact and interaction that may be indicative of nefarious intent and help them strengthen research security and protect national intellectual capital.

This project will engage and ultimately protect Peruvian research scientists from illegitimate loss of intellectual capital (i.e., technical research expertise, knowledge, and data).  More importantly, this work will directly help mitigate the risk of WMD scientific knowledge transfer that could be used to enhance and advance foreign proliferator states.

The 3-day virtual training will be held August 12-13, 2024, and will include approximately 35 stakeholder-identified Peruvian laboratory principal investigators, research scientists, and laboratory management from a variety of scientific disciplines.  The workshop material will be focused heavily on topics related to information security and KYC principles.  Thus, suggested workshop modules to be included consist of, at a minimum, those listed below. 

If you are interested in participating in this workshop, please click on "Registration" to register. Please finalize your registration by submitting a clear copy of your passport by clicking on "Submit Document".

You will be notified of selection by July 31 2024. 

If you have any questions about your registration, please contact Sarah Calcutt at scalcut@sandia.gov.

If you have any questions about the technical material, please contact Lisa Gribble at lagribb@sandia.gov.