Biodefense Initiative: Connecting Biodefense Community

描述（由申请人提供）：NIAID制定了“生物防御研究战略计划”，概述了解决生物恐怖主义和新出现和再出现疾病领域研究需求的计划。研究议程的重点是对所涉微生物的生物学、宿主反应进行基础研究的必要性，以及旨在开发针对这些病原体的诊断、治疗和疫苗的基础和应用研究。此外，该议程还涉及对这些药剂进行基础和应用研究所需的科学人力。为了使我们国家的生物医学研究界集中在这一议程上，Keystone专题讨论会（KS）很好地定位于举行一系列年度会议，这些会议将把生物防御界聚集在一起，分享信息，这些信息对于制定最终将发展成为反生物恐怖主义工具的解决方案至关重要。其次，在吸引年轻科学家进入生物防御研究领域方面，KS组织发挥了至关重要的作用，因为42%的与会者是寻找职业机会的年轻研究人员（35岁以下）。最后，这项拨款申请的重点是利用我们在组织高质量生物医学会议方面的良好声誉，重点是让世界领先的免疫学和传染病研究人员讨论、辩论并为管理生物恐怖主义威胁提供有效的想法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The NIAID has developed a "Strategic Plan for Biodefense Research" which outlines plans for addressing research needs in the board area of bioterrorism and emerging and reemerging diseases. The research agenda focuses on the need for basic research on the biology of the microbes involved, the host response, and basic and applied research aimed at the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccine against these agents. In addition the agenda addresses the scientific manpower needed to conduct both basic and applied research on these agents. In focusing our nation's biomedical research community towards this agenda the Keystone Symposia (KS) is well positioned to hold a series of annual meetings that will bring the biodefense community together to share information that will be critical in formulating solutions that will be eventually developed into anti-bioterrorist tools. Secondly, the KS organization can play a vital role in attracting young scientists to the field of biodefense research since 42% of its conferees are young investigators (under 35 years of age) looking for career opportunities. Lastly, the focus of this grant application is to leverage our strong reputation in organizing high quality biomedical meetings with the focus of having the world's leading investigators in immunology and infectious diseases to discuss, debate and provide effective ideas for managing the threat of bioterrorism.