The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $105 million in funding for 40 projects to bolster the nation’s defenses against new world screwworm. The projects aim to sharpen detection, accelerate control and eradication tools, and strengthen rapid-response capabilities. Work has already started on two additional USDA-funded projects that are a part of the Grand Challenge. Texas A&M AgriLife Research is assessing the feasibility, efficacy, and operational readiness of electron beam (eBeam) technology as a non-radioactive alternative to cobalt-60 gamma irradiation for sterilizing NWS pupae in sterile insect technique programs, and the University of Florida is evaluating two U.S.-made X-ray irradiators for sterilizing NWS pupae using secondary screwworm as a surrogate.