NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing biosecurity, biodefense, and biomanufacturing technologies (KS, MO)

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This Regional Innovation Engines Development Award is focused on building a robust network of research institutions, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, non-profits, economic development agencies, and for-profit industries that together constitute an emerging focus of economic development centered around biosecurity, biodefense, and advanced biomanufacturing in the northeast and central Kansas and northwest Missouri region. This geographic entity is home to anchor players in this domain, including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility, the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, BioKansas, BioNexus KC, NetWork Kansas, numerous companies, and others. Many of the proposed participants have already come together in a variety of interactions that will support the planned Engine development. The Kansas City Animal Health Corridor serves as an established model for building a cluster of private, non-profit, educational, and government entities that support research, education, training, and commercialization in the general area of biosecurity and biodefense. Kansas State University and University of Kansas researchers have significant strengths in bioprocessing, biomanufacturing, biosecurity, biodefense, and value-added agriculture product development. Use-inspired challenges addressed by the engine include diagnostics/prophylactics-therapeutics/vaccines for diseases that threaten animal and plant agriculture as well as zoonotic diseases; disease mitigation and surveillance of vectors and vector-borne disease; alternatives to address antimicrobial resistance; improvements to value-added agriculture and biomanufacturing processes; and animal feed. The proposed strategy will create a continuum of capacity for discovery, commercialization, and manufacturing to ensure that technologic advancements achieve practical application and promote economic development. A future NSF Engine would streamline the process of discovery to commercialization for industry partners. The critical mass of talent and infrastructure in the region will attract companies, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. By enhancing existing programs and building partnerships, the Development Award will increase the transition velocity of transformational products into the marketplace; create tangible economic value by addressing complex challenges and advancing the economic growth interests of biosecurity and biodefense companies; enhance appropriate economic return and build ecosystem sustainability through university-industry partnerships; advance entrepreneurial activity growth; and attract, educate and retain diverse, skilled, and adaptable talent to meet regional workforce needs. The Development Award will enable the project team to prepare for an NSF Engine by beginning to build the infrastructure needed for a full Engine. This includes teams dedicated to use-inspired research, economic development, corporate attraction, growing small businesses, workforce development, and inclusion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all aspects of the project.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.