Assist the laboratory in meeting the responsibilities required of their designated level as outlined in the 2023 agreement for participation in the national animal health laboratory network (nahln)

The Department of Agriculture Pennsylvania received a $387,870 cooperative agreement award from the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care federal grant program (CFDA #10.025). The purpose of this award is to assist the recipient in meeting responsibilities as a designated member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, including supporting quality management systems, laboratory information management systems, staff expertise and proficiency, equipment enhancements, and limited facility projects. This funding will help ensure rapid response capabilities for adverse animal health events and benefit the Network and American public.

Two subawards of $20,000 each were provided to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and The Pennsylvania State University to support NAHLN infrastructure projects. Both institutions are established recipients of federal research grants and contracts across biomedical, defense, and agricultural domains leveraging scientific expertise at their respective universities.

In addition, IT will support an overall increase in nahln capacity and capabilities to meet the needs faced during an adverse animal health event caused by the presence of an emerging disease or foreign animal disease. This will be accomplished by providing support for; quality management systems, laboratory information management systems to electronically submit testing data accurately and consistently, improving staffing expertise and proficiency, enhancing equipment, and limited "brick and mortar" projects that will directly enhance work product, test outcomes, etc. This agreement will benefit the overall network as well as the american population by helping to ensure the rapid response to an adverse animal health event. No subawards.