Develop a rapid screening framework to allow for selection of a relatively small number of exotic pests for consideration through the objective prioritization of exotic pests(opep) to prioritize for…

This $285,644 cooperative agreement from the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will fund the development of a rapid screening framework by North Carolina State University under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care federal grant program (CFDA 10.025). The university will finalize and validate a rapid screening pest introduction model to allow prioritization of a small number of exotic pests for impact assessments from the existing Objective Prioritization of Exotic Pests model. Deliverables will include lists of prioritized pests from both the rapid screening and Objective Prioritization of Exotic Pests frameworks, along with a report and Excel framework describing use of the rapid approach to strengthen Objective Prioritization of Exotic Pests results. The project aims to focus limited agency resources on exotic pests presenting the highest potential impacts through a strengthened pest screening process.

Develop a rapid screening framework to allow for selection of a relatively small number of exotic pests for consideration through the objective prioritization of exotic pests(opep) to prioritize for impact assessments. Activities will include finalizing and validating the rapid screening pest introduction model. The award recipient will validate the model by evaluating if the rapid screening pest impact model could predict pest species that the more thorough, but slower opep model also predicts as having high or moderate impact. Additionally, the recipient will examine if the data collected for and/or the questions answered by the rapid screening approach can strengthen the existing opep impact assessment framework as a post hoc analysis, especially for pests that are categorized as moderate risk. Deliverables will include a list of pests prioritized based on the likelihood of introduction using the rapid framework, a list of pest prioritized based on the likelihood of impact using the rapid framework, and a report describing the use of the rapid framework for strengthening opep model results. The recipient will also deliver an excel framework with the rapid screening results accompanied with user guidelines. Efforts will benefit PPQ science and technology and its customers and stakeholders. Rapid screening of pest impact and a strengthened oppose will ensure PPQ and its customers focus their limited resources nests with the highest potential impacts.