
Gabrielle Essix
Program Officer, Global Biological Policy and Programs
Addressing biological risks requires specialized multi-sectoral expertise, including in biosafety and biosecurity, but there is an overall dearth of global experts and limited geographic and gender diversity among those working in the field.
An annual competition to bring together rising young leaders from around the world and across a range of sectors to work together to devise innovative solutions to prevent, detect, and mitigate globally catastrophic biological risks.
An energized, internationally connected, and diverse network of next-generation biosecurity leaders who are working to strengthen global biosecurity and reduce the risk of deliberate and accidental catastrophic biological events.
NTI | bio partners with the Next Generation Global Health Security (GHS) Network to host the annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition, which fosters professional development for rising global leaders in support of Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) biosecurity targets.
The Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition seeks to:
Since its launch in 2017, the Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition has successfully increased awareness of deliberate and accidental biological risks within the broader global health security world and created opportunities to highlight rising biosecurity leaders. Winners of the competition have hailed from Argentina and Azerbaijan to Uganda and the United Kingdom and have presented their unique proposals and ideas at side-events of global forums such as the Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of States Parties and the Global Health Security Agenda Ministerial Meetings.
Winning teams have summitted proposals like developing a centralized communications hub and database of biosecurity resources and building a virtual online community to facilitate biosecurity and biosafety discourse on international norms in the life sciences. In 2018, the Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition winning team received $15,000 to build a series of eLearning modules called ‘Act Like a Pro,’ which guided users through various scenarios for students and young professionals to explore career options in biosafety or biosecurity in different settings. Users watched biosecurity and biosafety experts work to implement the International Health Regulations in Uganda, follow biosecurity and biosafety procedures in a laboratory in Argentina, and think about dual-use research dilemmas in the United Kingdom. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition winning paper used publicly available data, including the GHS Index, to identify categories of research that pose unique dual-use risks and provide recommendations to address them without undermining pandemic preparedness and response.
Going forward, NTI | bio will strive to expand the competition’s geographic reach, the number of submissions, and the geographic and sectoral diversity of participants.
NTI | bio Program Officer Gabby Essix discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the biosecurity field.
NTI | bio experts contributed to the 9th Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference in Geneva.
Nicholas Cropper, Shrestha Rath, and Ryan Teo are the winners of the Sixth Annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition.
Today, leaders preparing for the BWC’s Ninth Review Conference in August are exploring whether the global community can leverage increased attention and political will to strengthen the BWC by building mechanisms that increase transparency and trust with the goal of reducing the risk of global catastrophic biological events. A particular aim is determining whether there are effective and politically viable ways to enforce the treaty.
Past Event
11 AM ET
NTI | bio, in partnership with the Next Generation for Global Health Security (GHS) Network (NextGen), the iGEM Foundation, SynBio Africa, and the Global Health Security Network (GHSN), are pleased to launch the Sixth Annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition.
The side event was co-hosted with organizations developing young talent in the biosecurity space:
2021 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition: What Life Science Research Should Not Be Conducted, If Any? A Conversation with the Experts.
We are seeking innovative and creative papers for online publication by NTI | bio and the NextGen GHS Network focused on responsible conduct of life science research.
NTI and partners hosted virutal side events on using the GHS Index as a guide for responding to COVID-19 and on strengthening biosafety and biosecurity.
NTI along with the Next Generation Global Health Security Network is pleased to announce the winners of the 4th annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition.
NTI | bio and partners have updated this description and extended the deadline of the 2020 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition to August 26, 2020.
NTI | bio hosted two events designed to discuss steps to fill global gaps in capability to prevent biological events and to reduce biological risks.
The winning team was selected from papers submitted by students and young professionals from nine countries across four continents.
NTI | bio and partners have extended the deadline of the 2019 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition to October 29, 2019 at midnight EDT.
NTI | bio will join senior officials and experts from around the world to advance global biosecurity capability during the 5th Global Health Security Agenda.
NTI | bio and the Next Generation Global Health Security Network announce the 2018 Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition.
NextGen experts showcase winning proposals to advance biosecurity during 4th Annual GHSA High Level Ministerial Meeting in Uganda.
NTI's Biosecurity Program is partnering with the Next Generation GHS Network to launch a competition in preparation for the 4th Annual High Level GHSA Ministerial Meeting.