Swine Health Information Center Renews Call for Proposals Under Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program

The Swine Health Information Center is renewing its call for research proposals under the 2-year 2.3 million dollar Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program.

The Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, a collaborative partnership involving the Swine Health Information Center, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and Pork Checkoff, was launched to facilitate research to address biosecurity issues during the wean-to-harvest stage of pork production.
Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says proposals continue to be accepted for research priorities not adequately addressed through projects already being funded.

Quote-Swine Health Information Center-Dr. Megan Niederwerder:

Through this program we have funded 16 projects to date but there are still research priorities that have not been adequately addressed in the funded projects.These areas that we continue to solicit research proposals for include personnel biocontainment and bioexclusion specifically looking at areas to monitor and evaluate biosecurity compliance by personnel as well as overcome barriers to biosecurity adoption and compliance.

The second area is to really enhance our ability to clean and disinfect trucks and trailers, either through enhancing efficiency of the truck wash or looking at alternatives to truck washes that may not require water.The third area is looking at enhancing the biosecurity of mortality management practices, whether that be through rendering or compost and the final area is looking at packing plant biocontainment.

Through these areas we continue to look for new ideas and research proposals that can help the industry address these gaps in biosecurity.Dr. Niederwerder says proposals should be submitted via email to research@swinehealth.org using the proposal template and instructions found on the SHIC website at swinehealth.org.She says proposals are being accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed as they come in.