Pathogen-Agnostic Biothreat Detection Funding Opportunity

Despite the tremendous strides we have made against water-borne, food-borne, and vector-borne diseases, airborne infectious diseases remain one of humanity's biggest challenges.

Expression of Interest Deadline

August 21, 2026

All technical areas in this group share this deadline. Submit to biosurveillance-rfp@blueprintbiosecurity.org by 11:59 PM ET.

Download the Full RFP Document (PDF)

Request for Proposals: Pathogen-Agnostic Biothreat Detection

Background

Biosurveillance, including early warning of emerging pathogens, is a key part of pandemic prevention. Early warning helps societies respond effectively to new outbreaks, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate in origin, enabling timely action to suppress transmission and develop countermeasures.

Today, most pathogen surveillance depends on recognizable clinical signals and targeted detection methods that require knowing what molecular features to look for in advance. These systems leave us poorly prepared for novel, engineered, or otherwise unexpected pathogens — key drivers of pandemic risk.

Metagenomic sequencing (MGS) is a promising, pathogen-agnostic detection platform that addresses critical limitations of relying solely on syndromic surveillance and targeted detection methods. By sequencing all nucleic acids in a sample, MGS has the potential to detect and genomically characterize any pathogen present without prior knowledge of what to look for. Falling sequencing costs and expanding biosurveillance infrastructure have made MGS more practical as a tool for broad, pathogen-agnostic detection. 

What This Request for Proposals (RFP) Funds

The aim of this RFP is to accelerate the deployment and maturation of MGS as a biosurveillance platform by funding improved computational, laboratory, and modeling methods for early pathogen detection and characterization. 

We invite Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from groups to investigate the following areas:

  • Computational detection of known and novel pathogens, including zoonotic and engineered pathogens, in MGS data
  • Sample processing methods to improve the sensitivity of sequencing-based detection and enable rapid validation of sequences of concern
  • Modeling pathogen-agnostic biosurveillance systems, including their cost, sensitivity, and optimal deployment

Across all three technical areas, we are particularly interested in work targeting human pathogens with pandemic potential, especially approaches that are scalable, grounded in real-world biosurveillance data, and openly available for broader use. Antimicrobial resistance, primarily amplicon- or PCR-based approaches, and tools for predicting pathogen immune evasion or pathogenicity are out of scope.

RFP Details

~$5M
Approx. total available
3
Technical areas
24mo
Max project period

The full RFP below covers all three Technical Areas. It includes background, scope, general eligibility requirements, anticipated awards, and additional specific research questions for every Technical Area.

Download the Full RFP Document (PDF)

Anticipated Awards

Depending on proposal quality, cost-effectiveness, and available funding, we may not make an award in every Technical Area, or we may make multiple awards in some Technical Areas. We anticipate that total awards will amount to $5 million.

We particularly value speed of execution and prefer proposals that reasonably aim to achieve their stated deliverables within 12 months or sooner.

How to Apply

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)

 

Applicants interested in this work are required to submit an EOI summarizing their proposed approach. We encourage applicants to propose creative, rigorous methods for achieving the study objectives and to clearly explain how their approach will generate decision-relevant results.

Applicants proposing work across more than one technical area should determine whether the activities constitute a single, integrated project or separate projects:
  • If the proposed work is interconnected and spans multiple technical areas, submit one EOI addressing all relevant areas.
  • If the proposed projects are independent, submit a separate EOI for each project.

All EOI submissions should be emailed to biosurveillance-rfp@blueprintbiosecurity.org.

EOI Requirements

 

Format and length: 

  • Up to 3 pages, single spaced. There is no expected length – many strong Expressions of Interest will be 1-2 pages. The 3-page maximum gives room for submissions covering multiple Technical Areas.
    • Figures, tables, and charts count toward the page limit. The cover sheet, table of contents, bibliography, supplemental papers, and conflict-of-interest disclosures do not.
  • Please submit as a PDF or Word document, in English.
  • We recommend using the Expression of Interest template made available alongside this RFP, although it is not required. We care more about the clarity of your plan than perfect formatting or polish.
  • Please do not include brochures or marketing materials. Links or supplemental papers may be included but may not be reviewed in their entirety.

Whether or not you use the provided template, your Expression of Interest must include:

  • Applicant name and organization (including organization type and country of primary applicant), a technical and administrative point of contact, key personnel and their affiliations, and whether your team has relevant experience.
  • The Technical Area(s) you are proposing to study.
  • A brief summary of the proposed work and how it addresses the goals of this RFP and your selected Technical Area(s).
  • Your intended approach, including multiple stages or components as appropriate. Bullet points are acceptable.
  • A rough timeline with key milestones and deliverables.
  • The main technical or feasibility risks to your approach and how you would address them. This does not need to be an exhaustive list.
  • A requested budget, with a rough approximation of personnel, materials, overhead, and other costs. We encourage budgets for conference travel, presentations, and open-access publications, where appropriate.
  • Other funding sources you are pursuing concurrently for this work, including co-funding options or funding sources you would pursue if not selected under this RFP.
  • Disclosure of any conflicts of interest (See Eligibility requirements → Conflicts of interest in the full RFP).
Download Expression of Interest Template
Stage 2: Full Proposal

 

Following the review of EOIs, selected applicants will receive a Notice of Recommendation and be invited to submit a Full Proposal within three weeks of notification.

A Full Proposal will consist of a technical section and a cost section. Templates and additional guidance will be provided to selected applicants.

Contact Information

Please email all administrative, technical, and contractual questions to biosurveillance-rfp@blueprintbiosecurity.org. Questions about this program that are not sent to this email may not be replied to. All questions must be submitted in English and include the sender's name, email address, and telephone number for follow-up.

When we determine that a response would be helpful to all parties interested in the RFP, we may post the question and answer in a public FAQ on our website. Questions may be paraphrased as needed to protect applicant information.