Galveston National Laboratory Operations

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The Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) will be a new, seven-story building containing 83,433 net usable square feet of state-of-the-art BSL2 through BSL4 laboratory space designed and constructed to support the research of the NIAID Biodefense Network. This proposal describes plans for its operation, and how the GNL will meet critical national needs related to the identification and validation of effective countermeasures for both naturally emerging infectious diseases and the threat of bioterrorism. The GNL will be operated as a consolidated functional entity on the UTMB campus, with multiple linkages to established UTMB campus operations allowing the GNL to take maximum advantage of the depth and breadth of technical and professional expertise and resources residing elsewhere in the University. GNL research and facility operations will report to the Director of the GNL, who will report to the Dean of the School of Medicine and President of UTMB. Biosafety and security functions will report directly to UTMB's Vice President for Business Affairs, who is the federally designated Responsible Official at UTMB. Scientific research, building operations, and business activities will be managed by the GNL's central Administrative Core built around an executive leadership team comprised of the Director, Scientific Director, Associate Director for Research, and Associate Director for Facilities. Through a GNL Operations Council and in consultation with the NIAID Program Office, this leadership team will direct a multidisciplinary research effort in support of both the GNL and NIAID Biodefense Network involving the activities of nine Research Support Cores (Emerging and High Risk Pathogens; BSL3 Research; Advanced Veterinary Services; Insectary Services; Collaborative Research Services; Experimental Pathology Services; Advanced Imaging Services; Advanced Technologies; and Regulatory Services) and four Facilities Support Cores (Facilities and Logistics; Biocontainment Engineering; Health, Safety and Training Services; and Security). Research priorities will be established in consultation with the NIAID Program Office and other investigators of the NIAID Biodefense Network and with the advice of a distinguished external Scientific Advisory Board. A field Investigations team managed by the Emerging & High Risk Pathogens Core will work with laboratory support from the Experimental Pathology Core to assist the GNL in responding to any future national emergency due to a newly emergent infectious disease or bioterrorist attack.