The objective of the program is to provide the Australian Government with an appropriate understanding of the issues pertinent to protection against biological weapons. The program contributes to Defence support of civil authorities in the management of biological threats to the community. The program also assists in the provision of a defensive capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) by enhancing the ability of the ADF to operate in parts of the world where biological weapons might be used. It also enhances Australia's ability to contribute to biological arms control measures. The principal research activities are concerned with the detection, diagnosis and characterisation of biological species that have been identified as potential biological warfare agents. In addition, evaluations are performed into the cellular responses to those agents and candidate medical counter-measures. The program also covers toxins that are considered threats in terms of both the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions.
The program is funded solely by the Australian Department of Defence, with a funding allocation for the calendar year (1 January – 31 December 2020) of approximately AUD$3,000,000.
AUD$40,000 to La Trobe University
The contract with La Trobe University is to support a PhD student in a project to develop fieldable next generation sequencing methods for pathogen identification.
The organisational structure is as follows. There is a single active research cell operating within the Department of Defence within the hierarchy represented below.
Defence Department
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Defence Science and Technology Group
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Land Division
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Chemical and Biological Defence Branch