University of Nebraska Board of Regents receives $12M Congressional Directives grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration

The infectious disease air transport (idat) training facility - the infectious disease air transport (idat) training facility is a proposed new construction project at the university of Nebraska medical center (unmc) in omaha, Nebraska. The purpose of the facility is to establish a permanent, purpose-built national training center dedicated to preparing military and civilian healthcare personnel for the safe transport of patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (hcids). The facility addresses a critical gap in current national preparedness by establishing a simulation-based platform that supports both iterative training and rapid-response readiness. The facility will serve as a specialized training environment that enables immersive, high-fidelity simulations of infectious disease air transport operations. It will support programs developed in collaboration with the u.s. Air force and federal health agencies, enhancing readiness of multidisciplinary teams responsible for the transport, care, and management of patients with hcid. Upon completion, the facility will function as a national resource for training, education, doctrine development, and operational evaluation for biocontainment transport and infectious disease response. The scope of construction includes development of a new approximately 15,800-square-foot, stand-alone high-bay training facility on a 1.85-acre site. The building will be designed as a column-free, high-clearance structure with an approximate height of 30 feet to accommodate full-scale aircraft simulation components. Key architectural and programmatic components include large training bays, simulation control rooms, classroom and briefing spaces, equipment storage, and preparation areas for specialized training systems. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will be engineered to support advanced simulation environments, including high-capacity HVAC systems for environmental control, robust electrical and data infrastructure for simulation technologies, and specialized systems for indoor air quality and operational safety. The facility will also incorporate infrastructure to house aircraft mock-ups and biocontainment transport units, enabling realistic replication of patient transport scenarios. Overall, the project encompasses both building construction and comprehensive site development, resulting in a fully integrated, high-performance training facility designed to support national infectious disease preparedness and response capabilities.