The National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska recently provided subject matter expertise while serving as a lead facilitator for the “Fire Break” Modified Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Emergency Vaccination Response Exercise hosted by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA).
Through a combination of workshops and a functional exercise, NDA staff and mutual aid partners stress-tested Nebraska’s vaccination methods and resources against FMD. Meghan Jackson, NSRI director for food, agriculture and environment security, facilitated vaccination request and distribution workshops with state mutual aid partners and evaluated the state’s in-field vaccination procedures at cattle operations, guiding participants through high-pressure decision points to generate actionable recommendations.
Her contributions drew on NSRI’s deep capabilities for biological threat mitigation and response as well as the institute's partnership with the Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Jackson also called upon her own long-time experience within the federal government, during which she translated several complex threat scenarios into structured, outcomes-driven exercises that challenged assumptions and built real-world readiness.
"This exercise was a great example of how exercises can be used to hone well-worked skills, like vaccinating animals, with the identification of additional program needs," Jackson said. "I was really impressed with the results of this event, and I am excited to see the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture integrate the findings moving forward."
This engagement reflects NSRI's growing role as a trusted partner with and beyond the traditional defense enterprise — supporting civilian agencies with missions that intersect directly with national security.
Learn more about this NSRI research focus area at nsri.nebraska.edu/faes.
