Department of Homeland Security Selects Contractors for New Biological Detection Systems

Release Date: 04/01/04 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
April 1, 2004

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate today announced that more than a dozen teams (listed below) have been selected for contract negotiations with the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA). These contractors will be expected to conduct research and development leading to next generation biological detection sensors and systems.

"These awards dramatically enhance our efforts to meet some of Homeland Security's most immediate technology needs, defending against biological and chemical threats" said Dr. Charles E. McQueary, Under Secretary, Science and Technology. "Working with the private sector is absolutely essential to creating effective and affordable technologies to protect the nation."

Under the agreement these teams will have access to approximately $48 million to conduct the first phase of projects related to biological countermeasures over the next eighteen months, depending on topic area. Team leaders selected for each biological sensor effort are listed below:

Bioagent Autonomous Networked Detectors (BAND) - "detect-to-treat" system for round-the-clock, distributed monitoring of outdoor urban areas for bacteria, viruses and toxins

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation of Linthicum, MD
MicroFluidic Systems, Inc. of Pleasanton, CA
Science Applications International, Inc. of San Diego, CA
U.S. Genomics, Inc. of Woburn, MA
IQuum, Inc. of Allston, MA
Nanolytics, Inc. of Raleigh, NC

Rapid Automated Biological Identification System (RABIS) - "detect-to-protect" system for round-the-clock, distributed indoor monitoring of buildings and selected outdoor locations for bacteria, viruses and toxins

Sarnoff Corporation of Princeton, NJ
Brimrose Corporation of Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory of Laurel, MD
Ionian Technologies, Inc. of Upland, CA
Goodrich Corporation of Danbury, CT
Battelle Memorial Institute of Aberdeen, MD
Physical Sciences, Inc. of Andover, MA
Research Triangle Institute of Research Triangle Park, NC

These teams were selected from among 518 White Papers submitted in response to HSARPA's first competitive solicitation issued in September 2003. Of that group, 75 contractors were invited to submit full proposals. These fourteen teams are the product of a rigorous competitive proposal evaluation by a panel of government experts.

"We are proud to support these teams as they begin this important research in the area of biological detection" said Dr. David Bolka, Director, HSARPA. "Today's announcement is the first of many solicitations and awards HSARPA will release across a broad spectrum of homeland security science and technology issues in the coming months."

HSARPA will soon announce the leaders of additional teams selected through this solicitation in the chemical detection areas. In addition, the agency has recently released a solicitation for radiological and nuclear countermeasures detection systems. HSARPA also plans to release additional solicitations this year for: high explosives detection and neutralization; cyber security; and threat assessment.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate serves as the primary research and development arm of the Department, utilizing our nation's scientific and technological resources to provide federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland.

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This page was last reviewed/modified on 04/01/04 00:00:00.