OTTAWA – The CBRN Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) announced today a call for proposals to enhance national security against terrorism through chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats is the focus of today’s call for proposals by the CBRN Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI). The five-year CRTI program has a $170-million budget from the government of Canada’s Public Security and Anti-Terrorism budget to support research and development projects to strengthen Canada’s ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to CBRN threats.
Project proposals are sought from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, and government institutions. CRTI is particularly interested in the areas of criminal investigation capabilities; science and technology dimensions of risk assessment; and public confidence and psychosocial factors.
“As CRTI enters its fourth year, many projects it funded in previous years are already delivering results for operational use and development opportunities,” said Dr. Tom Cousins, Acting Director of the CRTI Secretariat. “By focusing on these research areas, CRTI is taking a comprehensive approach to the mitigation of CBRN threats.”
Over the past four years, CRTI has invested $109.5 million in 64 projects and $24.7 million in 72 technology acquisitions.
CRTI is accepting all investment priorities, however, the initiative has a particular interest in the areas of criminal investigation capabilities; science and technology dimensions of risk assessment; and public confidence and psychosocial factors in one of the following categories:
Technology Acceleration: Projects that hasten the delivery of technologies already in commercial development to first-responders.
Research and Technology Development: Projects that close the gap between the scientific research community and developers of technologies that will be used against CBRN threats in the field.
Technology Demonstration: Projects that createopportunities and venues for demonstrating the impact and utility of emerging technologies to first-responders.
The CRTI selection process has two phases. In the first phase, applicants submit brief synopses of their proposals (due by September 14, 2005). The selection committee evaluates each synopsis to ensure that it is relevant to CRTI investment priorities and to identify opportunities for collaboration between submissions. Applicants whose synopsis synopses pass es the first phase of selection will then be invited to submit a detailed proposal (due by October 26, 2005).
Participating departments and agencies have joined CRTI because their specific mandates and expertise are key to the overall safety and security of Canadians. The departments and agencies participating in CRTI are Defence R&D Canada (DRDC), Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Health Canada, Environment Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, National Research Council of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the Privy Council Office, Transport Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
CRTI is led by DRDC, an agency within the Department of National Defence, and is comprised of a national network of six defence research centres. The Agency works in collaboration with private industry, allied forces and academia to respond to the needs of the Canadian Forces. Dr. John Leggat, CEO of DRDC, is the Chairman of the CRTI Steering Committee.
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For more information about CRTI or submitting a proposal, please visit:
www.crti.drdc-rddc.gc.ca.
Note to editors: For media enquiries only, please contact:
CRTI Communications
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(613) 995-8008
