ASPR and NETEC Announce Second Round of NSPS Level 2 STAND Awardees to Strengthen Special Pathogen Preparedness Nationwide

21 additional U.S. healthcare facilities selected, bringing the total number of facilities awarded to 75

WASHINGTON D.C. (Sept. 1, 2026) — The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) today announced 21 additional healthcare facilities selected for the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS) Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment and Network Development (STAND) Award, expanding the national network of participating Level 2 treatment centers to 75 facilities.

This second round of funding includes 21 healthcare facilities across 16 states/territories, expanding the network of Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (SPTCs), and strengthening the nation’s ability to safely care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs).

“Building national readiness means making sure specialized care isn’t concentrated in only a handful of locations,” said John Knox, ASPR Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary. “With 75 hospitals strengthening their ability to safely treat patients with high-consequence infectious diseases, the Trump Administration is building more capable state and local response systems, protecting healthcare workers, and giving communities greater access to the care they need when these threats emerge.”

The 21 new awardees join 54 healthcare facilities selected in the first round of NETEC STAND Awards earlier this year, bringing the total number of facilities receiving NETEC STAND Awards to 75 nationwide. Together, these facilities significantly expand the National Special Pathogen System’s capacity to provide specialized care for patients with HCIDs, reduce pressure on regional Level 1 treatment centers, and bring specialized care closer to affected communities — all while helping protect healthcare workers and the public.

“This second round of STAND Awards represents important progress toward a stronger, more coordinated National Special Pathogens System,” said Laura Evans, MD, MSc, Executive Director of the NSPS and Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. “With a total of 75 facilities now supported through the program, we are expanding the nation’s capacity to provide specialized care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases while strengthening the regional partnerships and workforce readiness essential to sustained preparedness.”

Each selected facility will receive up to $500,000 to support infrastructure enhancements, advance workforce training, and invest in specialized equipment required to meet NSPS Level 2 SPTC standards. The facilities will work collaboratively with NETEC, their Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs), public health leaders, emergency medical services, and other partners to strengthen preparedness, expand access to specialized care for HCID patients, and enhance regional surge capacity.

To find out more about the NETEC STAND Awards, NETEC, and the awardees, see NETEC Announces Second Round of NSPS Level 2 STAND Award Recipients to Strengthen Special Pathogen Preparedness Nationwide.

###

About ASPR:

ASPR is the nation’s leading health security agency — driving preparedness before disaster strikes, securing domestic medical supply chains, advancing gold-standard science, and delivering a fast, accountable federal response when lives are on the line. We partner with states, local communities, tribes, territories, other federal agencies, and the private sector to strengthen readiness at home. We invest in American manufacturing to reduce foreign dependency, and steward taxpayer resources with transparency, discipline, and measurable outcomes. ASPR protects the American people and ensures that the United States can prepare for, respond to, and recover from any threat to national security, anytime, anywhere. 

About NETEC

The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) is the nation’s leader in special pathogen preparedness and response. Established in 2015 following the treatment of Ebola patients in the U.S. and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), NETEC is led by a consortium of Emory University, the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, in partnership with the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center network. As the Congressionally designated Coordinating Body for the National Special Pathogen System — a nationwide, tiered system of care — NETEC strengthens national health security through training, consultative services and assessments, research, and the development of evidence-based best practices. Learn more at netec.org.