New project on the Science and Technology of Arms Control
25 April 2013
Prof David Galbreath is leading a new project on the development of international regimes to monitor and control biological and chemical weapons. Entitled ‘Biochemical security 2030 - towards improved science-based multilevel governance’, the project is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as well as the Defence Science and Technology Lab (DSTL).
Dr Alexander Kelle was awarded the original grant but due to conflicts of interest with his current work at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Prof Galbreath has assumed direction of the project.
The project is one of a larger project on Science and Security funded by the ESRC and DSTL. It will analyse from an institutionalist perspective how improved science-based multilevel governance measures for future biochemical security can be conceptualised and implemented.
The primary focus of attention in the project will be to investigate how the work of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) can be improved. This will ensure effective action can be taken to more efficiently develop awareness, education and any necessary codes of conduct and oversight systems for biologists, chemists and other associated scientists whose benignly intended work could be subject to misuse by those with malign intent.
This project runs from March 2013 for 18 months with contributions from
Prof
Malcolm Dando (University of Bradford) and
Prof
Kathryn Nixdorff (University of Darmstadt).
