The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Office of Acquisitions Management, Contracts and Grants (AMCG), components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), invite you to participate in an upcoming conference at which you can learn about U.S. Government medical countermeasure requirements, interact with BARDA and AMCG staff, and network with private sector colleagues working in this space. BARDA supports the advanced research & development, manufacturing, acquisition, and stockpiling of medical countermeasures (drugs, biological therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics, and non-pharmaceutical countermeasures) against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) WMD threats, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases. BARDA's work is carried out as part of the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE), a coordinated interagency effort that also includes three primary HHS agencies (NIH, FDA, and CDC), as well as the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Veteran's Affairs, and Agriculture. Conference participants will learn about - The 2012 PHEMCE Strategic Implementation Plan and its goals for medical countermeasure development, manufacturing, approval for use, and deployment - Roles and responsibilities of BARDA and other PHEMCE agencies, AMCG, and Contractors in partnerships to achieve public health preparedness goals - Core services that BARDA and other PHEMCE agencies provide to support product development - New initiatives designed to encourage novel and innovative approaches to the development of countermeasures for public health threats - Opportunities to develop medical countermeasures for both government and commercial markets Day one will introduce the PHEMCE and focus on programs and services that support the development of products and technologies needed to meet its public health preparedness goals. Day two will include an Interactive Workshop on the U.S. Government Contracting Process that will provide participants insight into how the U.S. Government determines and establishes its requirements, develops solicitations, evaluates proposals, issues awards, and administers contracts. Conference participants may also request one-on-one meetings with BARDA Program Staff and/or AMCG Contracting Officers (meetings will take place on day three). Requests for such meetings should be submitted at the time of registration for the conference. Conference registration is now available at www.medicalcountermeasures.gov.
