IGCC’s Public
Policy and Biological Threats (PPBT) program began in July 2004 with
a two-week
intensive
training at UC San Diego. The multidisciplinary
training program fosters a dynamic, collaborative learning environment
for University of California Ph.D.
and professional-school students, junior UC faculty, and private industry professionals.
The program is funded by a generous grant from the Carnegie
Corporation of New York.
Now in its fourth year, the
Public Policy and
Biological Threats (PPBT) program focuses on policy responses to the
threat of bioterrorism. Topics include the science of biological weapons
and threats, the history of bioterrorism
and weaponization, verification and monitoring, response mechanisms, scenario
building, national security decision making, and industry protocols and incentives.
An important addition to the 2007 summer program curriculum is a table-top
exercise prepared by the RAND Corporation and IGCC.
Faculty includes
experts from throughout the UC system, the National Laboratories, and
many of the nation’s leading research institutions.
The program is co-directed by Sam
Bozzette of the UCSD
Medical School and RAND, a noted expert on bioterrorism, and Peter
Cowhey, Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs and
dean of the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies
at UCSD.
Fellowship funding is available on a competitive basis to UC Ph.D students,
post-docs, and junior faculty participants from diverse disciplines.
UC faculty and Ph.D. students from the professional schools, chemistry,
medicine, epidemiology, nursing, public health, pharmacy, law, social
psychology, public policy, economics, and international relations academic
programs are encouraged to apply. The deadline for registration is in
the spring each year.
Community Participation
Industry professionals and government officials are also
invited to participate in the program. The cost for individual participants
including food and lodging at the conference is around $4,500. The deadline
for registration is in the spring each year.
Curriculum
The Public Policy and Biological Threats summer training
program typically covers the following elements:
The science of biological weapons and biological threats: an introduction
to infectious diseases, treatment, weaponization, dispersion, and detection
of biological agents;
Literature search techniques, best practices for organizing trans-disciplinary
and high-volume data;
Improved risk-scenario planning and improved tools for scenario building;
Large-scale modeling evaluation analysis to achieve cost-benefit
evaluations;
Assessment of response strategies and plans (including neglected
aspects);
International rules and regime building (creation of shared understandings
of the strategic challenge and policy norms); including:
a) Protocols for monitoring and reducing risk factors (for example, lab controls
in the private sector and university/global monitoring regimes); and
b) International coordination to reduce risks;
Strategic interaction analysis (game theory and other policy tools;
Analysis of building consensus among stakeholders, including a concise
introduction to public policymaking; and
Analysis of the intersection of the growth of a sophisticated biotechnology
industry around the world and the issues posed for the control of bioterrorism.
For additional information or to receive mailings on the 2008
summer program, contact PPBT Project Manager Raymond
Clark.
IGCC
is a non-profit, nonpartisan institute with official 501(c)(3) status. We welcome
your tax-deductible donations to help support our work, and encourage you
to contact
us about our programs and activities.
Copyright 2001–2008 by the Regents of the University of California on
behalf of IGCC.
