Thursday, December 26, 2024
12/26/2024
Numerous infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), yellow fever, and influenza have plagued mankind for centuries. Moreover, increased population density, global warming, and encroachment into new environments continues to accelerate the pace at which new infectious diseases and pandemics emerge. Unfortunately marginalized communities have historically been disproportionally affected by the negative health effects induced by widespread or newly emerging diseases. To further the understanding of many pathogens and to develop safe and effective diagnostics, vaccinations, and treatments against them, the University of Washington (UW) operates a specialized Biosafety Level-3 / Animal Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3/ABSL-3) high containment facility that is required to work safely with serious and life-threatening pathogens. Since its opening in 2013, the facility has played a key role in research that protects the people of our nation. Reliable operation of the facility is critical for ensuring research safety and compliance with regulatory and funding agency requirements. This includes ensuring proper airflow and air balancing is maintained for containment of pathogens and protection of personnel and the environment. The facility is and has always been maintained to the highest standards. However, after years of intensive work, systems and components are aging and experiencing failures that negatively impact research productivity. As a result, the facility now requires upgrades and refinements to improve its future performance, reliability, and safe operations. Two primary tasks will be completed through this design-build construction project: 1) the upgrade of facility infrastructure to enhance the facility’s reliability and robustness including modernizing components of the air supply and exhaust systems and partitioning the facility air handling and corridor systems so that the facility can be operated as two independent units and 2) the repl acement of two primary containment devices. After construction is complete, the facility will be fully recommissioned and certified for proper operation by an independent third-party organization. Through completion of these tasks, the performance, reliability, and safety of the facility will be markedly improved, thereby allowing the continuation and expansion of the critical research activities that spur advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of life-threatening infectious diseases.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).