The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is building a $650 million, 500,000 square foot laboratory to research and develop countermeasures to animal, human, and zoonotic diseases. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) will provide the nation with integrated research and response capabilities to protect animal and public health and enhance our capability to protect livestock and the livestock industry from both naturally occurring and intentionally introduced disease threats.
Kansas: The Best Home for the NBAF on the Merits Manhattan, Kan., was selected for the NBAF after three years of competitive DHS review of 29 interested sites around the country; a phase-two evaluation of 18 sites in 11 states; and an environmental impact statement process involving six finalist sites.
Kansas is the ideal location for the NBAF. This world-class facility will benefit from both our expertise and tradition of strong support for the country’s national defense infrastructure. At Kansas State University, research can be conducted in cooperation with academic researchers and other public and private research partners. We offer the capable and available work force the NBAF requires.
One of Kansas’ great strengths is its leadership in bioscience, especially in the areas of animal health, infectious diseases, vaccines, and food safety. Building the NBAF in Kansas will offer efficiencies and effectiveness drawn from a critical mass of assets in the state. This impressive mix will provide a full complement of expertise, technologies, and facilities for disease surveillance, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Statewide resources include: