Can Fragile Labs Use AI Safely?

ACX Grants 2025 AI governance Biosecurity

Saeed Ahmad

ActiveGrant

$10,000raised

$50,000funding goal

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Background and Core Problem

Liberia, West Africa is low income country that has lived through the consequences of weak outbreak preparedness. The 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm63e1114a4.htm placed enormous pressure on the country’s health system and showed that safe, reliable laboratories are essential for early diagnosis, outbreak response and public trust.

Since Ebola, Liberia has made important progress. The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) https://www.nphil.gov.lr/ has become a central institution for surveillance, laboratory coordination and emergency preparedness. The National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) in Monrovia (Liberia) plays a key role in the country’s public health laboratory system.

But serious biosafety and biosecurity gaps remain. World Health Organization's 2023 Joint External Evaluation (JEE) https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/2024-05/Liberia%202023%20JEE%20Report.pdf of Liberia’s core capacities rated biosafety and biosecurity as very weak areas (score 1/5). It identified gaps in policy, oversight, training, equipment maintenance, pathogen accountability and sustainable systems. In simple terms, Liberia still needs stronger routines to make sure laboratory work is consistently safe, secure and ready for outbreaks.

What this project will do?

This project will address one practical problem: Liberia needs a simple, usable way to identify biosafety and biosecurity gaps at the laboratory level and turn those findings into a clear action plan.

The project will create and pilot BLAM - Biosafety and Biosecurity Landscape Assessment Matrix.

BLAM will be a practical tool that breaks biosafety and biosecurity into clear areas, such as:

governance and oversight
pathogen accountability
incident reporting
specimen handling and referral
staff training and competency
biosafety routines
biosecurity practices
sustainability and follow-up.

Instead of only saying “capacity is weak,” BLAM will help show where the gaps are, which gaps matter most, and what should be improved first.

The project will focus mainly on the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) situated in capital city Monrovia (Liberia, West Africa) with attention to how it connects with selected county-level laboratory functions and referral pathways. This will keep the project realistic for a small seed grant while still producing learning that can support future scale-up.

The project will also connect this work to AI safety. AI tools are becoming easier to access and may soon be used by laboratory staff to draft SOPs, summarize technical guidance, prepare reports, translate documents or troubleshoot routine problems. This could be useful, but it could also create risks if AI gives incorrect advice, if sensitive laboratory information is entered into unsafe tools, or if there is no process for checking AI-generated guidance.

For this seed project, AI will not be used to make biosafety decisions. Instead, the project will prepare the ground for future work by asking: what basic biosafety and biosecurity systems must be in place before fragile laboratories can use AI safely?

This makes BLAM useful in two ways. First, it will help Liberia identify current biosafety and biosecurity gaps. Second, it will create a platform that can later be expanded into an AI-readiness and AI-biosecurity assessment module.

The goal of this project will be to develop and pilot BLAM as a practical, Liberia-relevant tool for identifying biosafety and biosecurity gaps and preparing an evidence-based pathway for future strengthening.

The project will not try to solve all of Liberia’s laboratory biosafety problems. It will create the tool and evidence needed to make the next phase fundable, better targeted and nationally useful.

Activities

Review the evidence: It will use Liberia’s JEE 2023 findings, national laboratory documents, biosafety guidance and relevant policies to define the main areas BLAM should assess.
Develop the BLAM tool: It will create a simple matrix with domains, indicators, scoring guidance and evidence requirements.
Pilot BLAM in Liberia: It will test BLAM at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory and selected linked laboratory functions or county referral points, depending on access and approval.
Engage local stakeholders: It will involve NPHIL, laboratory staff, public health leaders and relevant partners to check whether the tool is practical and useful.
Identify priority gaps: It will produce a clear picture of the most important biosafety and biosecurity gaps that need future investment.
Prepare a scale-up pathway: It will develop a short, funder-ready plan for expanding BLAM to more laboratories and possibly adding an AI-safety module in a later phase.

Outputs

The project will produce:

working version of BLAM
short BLAM scoring guide
Liberia biosafety and biosecurity scoping report
list of priority gaps and “no-regrets” actions
simple implementation pathway for the next 12–24 months
concept note for future scale-up funding
initial outline for adding an AI-readiness module to BLAM later.

The most important output will be BLAM itself: a practical assessment tool that can be improved, reused and scaled.

Why this matters for global health security and AI safety?

Biosafety and biosecurity are basic foundations of pandemic preparedness. If laboratories cannot safely handle, refer and manage infectious specimens, outbreaks can be detected late, staff can be exposed, and public health response can be delayed.

This matters beyond Liberia. Infectious diseases do not stay within borders. Strengthening biosafety in one fragile health system contributes to regional and global health security.

It also matters for AI safety. As AI becomes more capable, it may enter biological work faster than policies and safety systems can adapt. Countries with fragile laboratory systems may be especially vulnerable because they often have fewer layers of oversight, fewer trained staff and weaker reporting systems.

This project will not solve AI-biosecurity risk directly. But it will build the first layer: a way to understand whether the basic biosafety and biosecurity system is strong enough to safely absorb future AI tools.

The future question will be:

Can laboratories use AI safely if they do not yet have strong incident reporting, pathogen accountability, equipment maintenance and verification systems?

BLAM will help answer that question.

This is a seed project. The purpose will be to test whether BLAM is useful, not to implement a national programme.

How I plan to use the funding?

A small grant of USD 10000 will be required to develop the tool, conduct initial field engagement, hold focused meetings, support local logistics and allow me to dedicate time to the work as an unfunded PhD researcher.

The project will reduce uncertainty for future funders. It will show whether BLAM can produce practical findings, whether Liberian stakeholders find it useful, and what a larger implementation phase should look like.

The funding will mainly support:

local logistics in Liberia
meetings with laboratory and public health stakeholders
transport and communication costs
development of the BLAM tool and scoring guide
preparation of the scoping report
my protected time to design, conduct, analyze and write up the project as an unfunded PhD researcher
preparation of the scale-up concept note.

The funding will not be used for large equipment purchases, laboratory renovation or broad national implementation. Those will require a later scale-up grant.

Future scale-up pathway

If this seed project is successful, it will create a strong basis for additional funding from Manifund, AI-safety funders and others.

A future phase could:

expand BLAM to more county laboratories
include animal, environmental and One Health laboratory interfaces
digitize BLAM for easier data collection and reporting
develop an AI-biosecurity module
test whether AI can help summarize BLAM findings safely
develop safe-use guidance for AI in public health laboratory work
support NPHIL and partners to turn BLAM findings into practical investments.

The long-term aim will be to move from a small pilot to a Liberia-owned system for identifying, prioritizing and addressing biosafety and biosecurity risks.

Saeed Ahmad

2 days ago

Progress update

What progress have you made since your last update?

Since the last update, I have completed the BLAM Liberia seed pilot and produced the main project report. The project helped turn a broad problem - Liberia’s weak biosafety and biosecurity capacity identified in the 2023 JEE into a more practical assessment framework. I developed and piloted the Biosafety and Biosecurity Landscape Assessment Matrix (BLAM) to look at concrete laboratory-system gaps, including incident reporting, pathogen accountability, waste management, equipment maintenance, specimen referral, training, and governance.

The pilot confirmed that the problem is real, but also more nuanced than “lack of resources.” Liberia has strong public health leadership, committed laboratory staff, and useful institutional networks. The bigger challenge is converting those strengths into routine systems: clear standards, regular supervision, maintenance, reporting, and follow up.

The main output is now a BLAM scoping report and a clearer pathway for future work. The pilot also helped me refine the project direction. I now see BLAM not only as a biosafety assessment tool, but as a platform that can later be extended to test whether fragile laboratory systems are ready to use AI safely in biological work.

What are your next steps?

My next step is to use the pilot report to seek follow-on support for a focused scale-up phase. The immediate plan is to refine BLAM into a cleaner, easier-to-use tool with a scoring guide, indicators, and practical reporting templates. I also want to develop a small AI-biosecurity add-on module that asks a simple question: can public health laboratories safely use AI tools for tasks such as drafting SOPs, summarizing guidance, or preparing reports without exposing sensitive information or trusting incorrect advice?

The next phase would likely focus on the National Public Health Reference Laboratory in Monrovia and a small number of linked county laboratories. It would test BLAM more systematically, run a simple AI-biosecurity tabletop exercise, and produce practical outputs such as a safe-use guide, verification checklist, and escalation pathway for AI-related laboratory mistakes. Longer term, I want BLAM to become a Liberia-owned tool that can support better biosafety investment, partner coordination, and preparedness planning.

Is there anything others could help you with?

First, technical feedback from people with experience in biosafety, biosecurity, laboratory systems, or AI-biosecurity would be very useful. I especially need reviewers who can help make BLAM simpler, safer, and more credible before wider use.

Second, introductions to potential funders or collaborators interested in global health security, AI safety, pandemic preparedness, or laboratory strengthening would help move the work from seed pilot to scale up.

Third, I would appreciate practical support in turning the BLAM report into stronger public-facing materials: a short concept note, a clean tool/manual, and a funder-ready scale-up proposal. My PhD is currently unfunded, so support for protected time is also important if I am to keep pushing this work forward properly.

Saeed Ahmad

5 months ago

Progress update

What progress have you made since your last update?

Since my last update, I completed the seed-funded scoping work to assess Liberia’s biosafety and biosecurity landscape and to define an evidence-based pathway for strengthening this capacity in alignment with IHR (2005) and the WHO-led JEE 2023 findings.

I conducted a BLAM-based scoping assessment using a mixed-method approach, including a targeted desk review, key informant consultations, and structured facility assessments. I applied and refined BLAM for the Liberia context, then synthesized the evidence into domain scoring and risk-based prioritization to identify the most consequential gaps and immediate actions.

I consolidated and documented key findings highlighting priority weaknesses in governance and oversight, operational biosafety practices, biosecurity accountability mechanisms (including access control and inventory systems), equipment maintenance and certification systems, waste management and decontamination, and safe specimen handling and referral pathways. I also held stakeholder validation and coordination discussions with national counterparts and technical stakeholders to ensure the findings reflect operational realities and to support a shared understanding of priorities.

Finally, I developed a clear pathway for scale-up, including a scoping brief outlining practical options for strengthening the biosafety and biosecurity legal/regulatory and oversight environment, and an investable outline for a follow-on implementation phase (12–24 months) with priority workstreams, indicative sequencing, and resource needs.

What are your next steps?

My next step is to translate the scoping findings into an expanded implementation phase that addresses the priority gaps identified through BLAM. Building on the evidence generated during this seed project, I will work with NPHIL and the Ministry of Health to agree on a phased set of recommendations that can be taken forward as a larger, more detailed programme of biosafety and biosecurity strengthening for epidemic preparedness and IHR implementation.

A key outcome of this seed phase is that it has attracted strong attention from NPHIL and generated institutional buy-in to move beyond assessment toward action. I will therefore support NPHIL’s leadership to use the BLAM findings as a practical decision tool, including aligning partners, defining roles, and sequencing priority interventions in a way that is feasible within Liberia’s system constraints.

In practical terms, I plan to expand the scope by: (i) broadening BLAM application to additional laboratory tiers and relevant sectors, (ii) advancing the agreed governance and oversight pathway, including options for strengthening legislation and regulatory mechanisms, and (iii) developing a more detailed, costed implementation plan that can be used to secure follow-on funding and guide coordinated execution of the highest-priority actions.

Is there anything others could help you with?

Yes. To move from this completed scoping phase to a full implementation program with measurable improvements in Liberia’s biosafety and biosecurity capacity, targeted support from funders and technical collaborators would be highly valuable in three areas:

1) Follow-on financing for an implementation phase (12–24 months).
Support is needed to operationalize the BLAM recommendations through a phased program that can strengthen governance and oversight, establish routine certification and maintenance systems, improve waste and decontamination practices, and expand workforce capacity. Flexible funding that can combine coordination, technical assistance, and selected high-impact investments would enable rapid transition from planning to action.

2) Technical collaboration and specialized expertise.
Partners could contribute expertise in laboratory biosafety and biosecurity systems (including risk assessment, incident management, and biosecurity accountability), equipment certification/maintenance systems (e.g., biosafety cabinets and decontamination validation), safe waste management solutions, and monitoring frameworks aligned with IHR and JEE. Collaboration to refine BLAM as a repeatable national monitoring tool and to embed it in routine supervision would also strengthen sustainability.

3) Implementation partnerships and capacity building platforms.
Support from institutions that can co-deliver training, mentorship, and supportive supervision—particularly through NPHIL/MoH structures and platforms such as the national laboratory network and FETP would help scale competency and institutionalize practices. In addition, partners that can help convene and coordinate through NEPC will accelerate alignment and reduce duplication of efforts.

Overall, additional support would help Liberia convert strong national buy-in and a completed evidence base into a coordinated, scalable program with direct relevance to epidemic preparedness and global health security.

donated $10,000

ACX Grants

8 months ago

Grant from ACX Grants 2025