Enhancing Australia's National Public Health Laboratory Capacity and Capability

Overview

The Health Protection Program aims to protect the health of all Australians from threats posed by communicable disease outbreaks, natural disasters, environmental hazards, acts of terrorism and other incidents of significant impact. The funding of specialised public health laboratories or laboratory related capacity and capability building activities form part of the Health Protection Program. The Enhancing Australia’s National Public Health Laboratory Capacity and Capability grant opportunity (the Grant Opportunity) aims to ensure that specialised Australian public health laboratories maintain capacity and capability to detect, identify and analyse biological agents of security concern or which pose a serious communicable disease risk. This grant opportunity will run over 4 years from 2021-22 to 2024-25.There are three funding streams available under this grant opportunity, for the following eligible organisations:1. World Health Organization Collaboration Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza (WHO Centre) The purpose of this stream is to maintain and operate the WHO Centre to collaborate with other WHO Centres for the monitoring influenza strain activity and epidemiological trends circulating globally.2. National High Security Quarantine Laboratory (including a Small Pox Testing Laboratory) (NHSQL) The purpose of this stream is to maintain and operate the NHSQL to ensure Australia maintains capacity and capability to detect, confirm and characterise pathogens of security concern to Australia.3. Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Program (RCPA QAP) The purpose of this stream is to ensure Australian laboratories develop and maintain the capability to detect biological agents of security concern to Australia.