Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response

Topics on this page: Summary of Activities that Continue | Summary of Contingency Staffing Plan

Summary of Activities that Continue

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will continue support of COVID-19 and Hurricane responses. ASPR is leading the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19, and large number of staff are supporting the medical countermeasure (MCM) program by negotiating, awarding, and managing contracts that are critical to the response effort.

The awarding actions, which are done by ASPR acquisitions includes the ability to execute funds. The technical oversight and management by our program staff and all of the reporting required to leadership and stakeholders is essential to ensure that the projects advance as quickly as possible.

In addition to supporting the COVID-19 response, ASPR staff are also negotiating, awarding, and managing contracts that are critical to the other material threats within ASPR’s mission. These tasks include executing contract actions for the development of medical countermeasures for our CBRN and pandemic influenza preparedness and response efforts and the overall technical oversight and management of those contracts post award to ensure appropriate fiduciary oversight.  Examples of projects that would be adversely impacted by a lapse in funding include the advanced development of MCMs for bacterial and viral pathogens, radiological and nuclear threats, treatment options for chemical agents, and strategies to improve the current standard for burn care. The contractual actions and oversight are essential to ensure that the projects advance as quickly as possible.

Summary of Contingency Staffing Plan

In the event of a lapse of appropriations, 1069 (100%) of ASPR staff will be retained including 429 (40%) who are exempt (their activities or position are already funded or otherwise exempted) and 640 (60%) who are excepted (their activities are deemed necessary by implication, or for the safety of human life or protection of property).

Exempt Staff:

A total of 429 (40%) ASPR staff will be exempt and performing activities without funding issues during a lapse in appropriations.

ASPR will continue operations to support funded programs, including issuance and management of grant and contract awards. Key activities to continue include COVID-19 and Hurricane responses, and the management of medical countermeasure work.

Excepted Staff:

A total of 640 (60%) ASPR staff are considered excepted and can legally continue their activities in the absence of appropriations. These staff fall into three categories; 1) those whose work is necessary for the safety of human life, 2) those whose work is necessary for the protection of property, and 3) those whose work is "necessarily implied" from the authorized continuation of other activities or the need to phase down and suspend operations.

The activities that ASPR will continue include administration of funded programs to ensure continue of support for COVID-19 activities, disaster responses, MCM management,  timely payments to grantees and contractors, and performing minimal timekeeping and budgetary operations to ensure an orderly phase down. All active disaster response operations or deployments that are ensuring the safety of human lives will continue regardless of current funding source. ASPR has 118 Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers will continue working under this exception.