Promoting Greater Security in Science

NTI partnered with the Sloan Foundation to support the National Academy of Sciences' ground-breaking report, "Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism: Confronting the Dual-Use Dilemma." This report has received widespread attention and led to a decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to lead a government-wide effort to improve biosecurity for legitimate classes of biological research that could be misused. This new initiative includes the creation of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, which will provide advice to the U.S. government on ways to minimize the possibility that knowledge and technologies from federally funded biological research will be misused to threaten public health or national security.

NTI is also supporting several projects to foster an international discussion on strategies to guard against the destructive application of biological research and development while still supporting the open and constructive pursuit of valuable science.

Through its Bioscience Community Self-Governance project, NTI is supporting work by the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to host an International Conference on Biosafety and Biorisks. Scheduled to take place in Lyon, France, in 2005, this meeting will engage scientists, health leaders and practitioners in discussions about biosafety and biosecurity challenges presented by SARS, influenza and other major epidemic threats, as well as ways to improve international cooperation in preventing and responding to future epidemics.

The project, Establishment of a Bioindustry Standards Organization, engages biotechnology industry leaders in the development of normative standards to reduce potential proliferation of dangerous pathogens, techniques and know-how. With support from NTI, the Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute and the International Institute of Strategic Studies-US convened three international meetings in 2004 — in Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States--bringing together participants from government, industry, academia, and other organizations to discuss ways to safeguard the legitimate use of life sciences by managing the risks of potential misuse--both deliberate and accidental. The project will culminate in the creation of the International Council for the Life Sciences, a charter-based organization that will commit its private and public sector members to a code of conduct to prevent the misuse of biological research.

NTI is also supporting the creation of an International Forum on Biosecurity to engage scientists and policymakers around the world to address concerns that research in the biological sciences might be misused by terrorists. Organized by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, this forum is scheduled to take place in 2005 in Como, Italy.