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Blueprint Biosecurity Announces FILTER Award Recipients
Over $1.7M awarded to understand drivers and mechanisms of filter degradation in respirators
08/05/26
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 5, 2026 – Blueprint Biosecurity, a nonprofit working to strengthen society’s ability to prepare for and respond to pandemics, today announced more than $1.7 million in grants to evaluate how and why respirator filter materials lose filtration efficiency over time and under real-world use conditions.
The awards, made through Blueprint’s Filtration Loss Testing in Respirator Equipment Research (FILTER) program, will advance understanding of filter degradation in disposable filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs) with N95-class filter media. The research will be led by two research groups: a joint team from the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Infectious Aerosol Research Group, and the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University.
“In an emergency, both reusable and disposable products are likely to be reused, often longer than is recommended by manufacturers,” said Victoria Slaughter, Blueprint Biosecurity PPE program director. “Understanding when critical gaps in protection can occur will help inform future guidance on extended use and reuse, as well as future planning for centralized stockpiling efforts.”
Though respirators are a critical tool for reducing exposure to airborne pathogens, questions remain about how long they can be used safely during public health emergencies, particularly when supplies are limited or reuse may be necessary.
The two research teams will pursue complementary approaches. NSRI and UNMC’s Infectious Aerosol Research Group will study how specific models of FFR and EHMR filters degrade under routine workplace conditions and compare those findings with laboratory-controlled samples to identify factors that affect filtration performance over time. The Nonwovens Institute will study how specific models of FFR filters degrade under different simulated conditions in controlled laboratory environments.
“Understanding how respirator filters degrade during use is essential for protecting health care workers, emergency responders, and other critical workers during future outbreaks,” said Gabriel Lucero, NSRI senior research engineer. “Our work will help clarify how real-world conditions affect respirator reuse, storage, and lifecycle management, ultimately supporting stronger guidance for essential workers and emergency preparedness.”
“Filtration performance depends not only on the design of the respirator, but also on the underlying materials and how they respond to use over time,” said Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., executive director emeritus of the Nonwovens Institute. “By studying N95-class filter media used in FFRs, we can better understand how materials perform across different models and manufacturers and help inform future respiratory protection strategies.”
The findings from these projects could help emergency planners, healthcare systems, manufacturers, and critical workers better understand when respirators can continue to be used safely and when they should be replaced. An initial readout of results is expected in mid-2027.
About Blueprint Biosecurity
Blueprint Biosecurity is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening society’s ability to prepare for and respond to pandemics. The organization advances practical, pathogen-agnostic solutions through targeted research, strategic grantmaking, and evidence-based policy guidance to build resilient communities and strengthen systems essential to pandemic preparedness and response. Blueprint’s goal is to transform how society responds to outbreaks so communities stay open, economies keep running, and people stay safe. For more information on Blueprint Biosecurity, please visit Blueprintbiosecurity.org or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, X.
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