Aphis has developed a laboratory training program, the aphis nbaf laboratorian training program (nltp), to support development of a growing workforce with the technical expertiserequired in BSL-3…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded a $827,200 Cooperative Agreement to Tuskegee University under the USDA CFDA Program 10.025 "Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care". The purpose of this award is to support the APHIS NBAF Laboratorian Training Program (NLTP), which aims to develop a growing workforce with the technical expertise required to fill critical roles at the new National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Kansas. Through this agreement, Tuskegee University will provide classroom courses and in-person laboratory training to NLTP participants in microbiology, virology, molecular biology, and diagnostics, with a focus on transboundary animal diseases and diagnostic tools. The agreement is intended to advance APHIS' goals of protecting the U.S. from adverse animal health events, monitoring and surveillance of animal populations, and enhancing the health status of the nation's animal populations by anticipating and responding to new or emerging disease threats.

Aphis has developed a laboratory training program, the aphis nbaf laboratorian training program (nltp), to support development of a growing workforce with the technical expertiserequired in BSL-3 level facilities and a knowledge base including issues specific to foreign animal diseases and BSL-4 agents to fill critical roles at the new national agro and BIO-defense facility (nbaf) in manhattan, KS. Through cooperative agreements with selected universities, nltp participants will receive a stipend to attend classrrom courses and inperson laboratory training which are needed in the laboratory-based fields of study: microbiology, virology, molecular biology, and diagnostics. Aphis will work with partner universities and laboratories to ensure the students gain experience learning about specific transboundary diseases and diagnostic tools that are imperative to the nbaf work in the field of emerging and infectious diseases. Recipients may communicate progress via end of session reports and student surveys. The purpose of the nltp is to advance the goals of aphis veterinary services, including protection of the united states from adverse animal health events, ongoing monitoring and surveillance of the health and productivity of animal populations, and most importantly, to enhance the health status of our nation's animal populations by anticipating and responding to new or emerging disease threats and managing, controlling or eradicating known diseases. The agreement further supports promotion of our animal health populations, through eradication and control of diseases that could reduce food supplies and make them more costly. The agreement directly supports building a modern workplace with a modern diverse workforce, through workforce and succession planning, diversity and inclusion efforts and technology improvements.