DARPA is seeking innovative proposals to develop safe and effective prophylactic countermeasures that prevent blood stream infections (BSI) arising from both fungal and bacterial pathogens.
The goal of the SHIELD program is to demonstrate a broadly deployable prophylaxis can clear bloodborne pathogens and protect the host from morbidity and mortality associated with BSI.
Research will focus on the following areas:
- Identify, optimize, and validate prophylaxes that clear bloodborne fungi and bacteria
from the host in a pathogen-agnostic manner; - Develop prophylaxes that will protect the recipient and prevent BSI for at least 72 hours after administration in animal models across various pathogen exposure and trauma scenarios that are relevant to combat casualty care
(wound from burn & trauma from blast); - Establish the safety and nonimmunopathogenicity of prophylaxes.
SHIELD is structured as a 4 year program with three phases
- Phase 1: Proof of Concept in vitro and in vivo (18 months) – design, characterize, and
produce prophylaxes at the laboratory scale to support proof-of-concept experiments - Phase 2: Protect against burn and pathogen exposure (18 months) – produce prophylaxes at the pilot scale to support Phase II experiments (dosing, animal models,
- Phase 3: Dual Protection in Blast Model (12 months) – produce prophylaxes at the full scale to support all Phase III experiments
Abstracts due 2 August 2023. Full proposals due 27 September 2023.
Documentation: SHIELD Broad Agency Announcement HR001123S0037
