DHS CWMD Research and Development Division (RDD) Biodetection and Bioidentification Timeliness Study

Background
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) is leading an effort to enhance the U.S. system for monitoring biological threats.

The CWMD aims to protect the American public by improving capabilities in biodetection, characterization, and agent identification. This study seeks to analyze the relationship between the timeline of biological processes and the effectiveness of government responses to biological incidents.

Work Details
The study will focus on developing and evaluating timeliness metrics for measuring the effectiveness of detection and response systems against intentional biothreat releases.

Key tasks include:
1. Analyzing the timeline of events from a wide-scale intentional release of an infectious biological agent to infection, incubation, symptom onset, intervention opportunities, and final consequences.
2. Developing metrics that capture variations caused by environmental factors and operational environments such as transportation hubs and urban centers.
3. Evaluating federal response timelines including activation of medical systems and deployment of countermeasures.
4. Investigating potential benefits or reductions in consequences through various interdiction capabilities, assessing technologies, techniques, and monitoring methods.