The Swine Health Information Center seeks a second round of research proposals to investigate cost-effective and innovative technologies, protocols, or ideas to enhance biosecurity during the wean-to-harvest phase of pig production, due April 28, 2023. Funding for the selected proposals will be provided by SHIC, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, and Pork Checkoff as part of SHIC’s Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program to be implemented over 2023-2024. The first round of proposal solicitation, selection, and funding was completed in February.
The updated research priorities in the second round of solicitation continue to focus on site and transportation biosecurity. They cover five targeted areas: 1) personnel biocontainment and bioexclusion, 2) mortality management, 3) truck wash efficiency, 4) alternatives to fixed truck wash, and 5) packing plant biocontainment. We are seeking novel tools in any of the five areas to help result in comprehensive biosecurity enhancement.
Proposals are expected to define current practices and investigate innovative and novel protocols or technologies that may have a cost, efficiency, or implementation advantage. Herd health status monitoring, instead of disease outbreak incidence, can be used to demonstrate success of the protocols or technologies and aid in a required economic analysis of cost-effectiveness.
Collaborative projects that include pork industry, allied industry and/or academic public/private partnerships, demonstrate the most urgency and timeliness of completion, and show efficient use of funds, will be prioritized for funding. Approximately $1.3 million is available for the research; proposals are capped at $200,000.
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