For Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Officials

Existing Grant & Cooperative Agreement Programs

Cooperative Agreements

Feed Safety and Ruminant Feed Ban (BSE)

The goal of this Cooperative Agreement Program is to enhance, complement, develop and improve State/territory/tribal animal feed safety and surveillance programs. This will be accomplished through the provision of funding for additional equipment, supplies, funding for personnel, training in current feed testing methodologies recognized by FDA, participation in proficiency testing to establish additional reliable laboratory sample analysis capacity, and analysis of surveillance samples as well as State/territorial/tribal government compliance inspections. This will also require extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices to minimize duplication of inspections.

Awards up to $250,000
States currently receiving funding are: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington State.

Food Safety and Security Monitoring Projects (FERN Labs)

The cooperative agreements for Food Safety and Security Monitoring provide funding to Food Emergency Response Network laboratories, which are essential to intervention efforts. The FERN cooperative agreements are intended to target state, local, and tribal registered FERN labs to provide increased sample analyses in the event of food outbreaks or other large-scale food emergency events requiring surge capacity testing of implicated food samples and food products. These samples could involve foods and/or environmental samples related to foods, and will be collected by Federal, State, or local agencies. Numbers of samples and scheduling of samples will be done by the FERN National Program Office (NPO) in coordination with State/Local lab authorities. Federal or State surveillance assignments will also be a source of samples for lab analysis.

There are three key program areas under FERN:

Microbiology
- Awards up to $250,000
- States currently receiving funds are: Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington State.
Chemistry
- Awards up to $400,000
- States currently receiving funds are: Arizona, California (UC-Davis), Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Virginia, California (DOPH), Ohio, Colorado, Arkansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
Radiological
- Awards up to $250,000
- States currently receiving funds are: Maryland, New York, Texas, Washington State, and Wisconsin.

Rapid Response Teams and Program Infrastructure Improvement Project

The Rapid Response Team (RRT) cooperative agreement will develop, implement, exercise and integrate an all-hazards food and food-borne illness response capability to more rapidly react to potential threats to our food supply. The RRT, which is designed to operate in conjunction with other food and feed agencies within state programs, other state RRTs, FDA district offices, and state emergency operations centers, is another tool to enhance response capabilities.

The RRTs will respond to all food hazard incidents in the farm-to-table continuum of food production and delivery by using incident command structure response protocols, a formalized crisis management system.

Awards up to $500,000
States currently receiving funds are: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington State.

Learn more about the RRTs here.

Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS)

The MFRPS allows for the development of risk-based food safety programs by establishing a uniform basis for measuring and improving the performance of State manufactured food regulatory programs in the United States. By achieving and sustaining conformance with these program standards, Federal and State programs can better direct their regulatory activities toward reducing foodborne illness hazards in food plants. Consequently, the safety and security of the United States food supply will improve. Achieving and sustaining conformance with the program standards will require comprehensive self-assessment on the part of a State program and will encourage continuous improvement and innovation. FDA recognizes that the time required for full conformance of the program standards will vary between States. However, all State manufactured food regulatory programs will be expected to implement strategic plans to ensure continuous improvement and demonstrate that they are moving towards full conformance. State manufactured food regulatory programs receiving funds under this cooperative agreement willbe expected to achieve significant to full conformance by Year 5 of the cooperative agreement. Eligible entities include state manufactured food regulatory programs with current FDA food safety inspection contracts or those that agree to enter into a food contract with FDA at the earliest possible date. There are currently two cooperative agreement programs under MFRPS:

MFRPS CAP
- Awards up to $300,000/year
ISO 17025 Laboratory Accredidation CAP
- Awards up to $300,000/year (seek accreditation); $150,000/year (maintain accreditation)
States currently recieving funds are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories

The intended outcome of this cooperative agreement is for microbiological and chemical food analyses performed on behalf of State manufactured food regulatory programs to be conducted within the scope of an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited laboratory and the goal of achieving a nationally integrated food safety system to be further advanced. This will be accomplished by preparing the primary food testing laboratories for State manufactured food regulatory programs to achieve and maintain ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory accreditation. Currently accredited laboratories will also be prepared for accreditation enhancements. Increased laboratory analyses from ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited labs, as would be accomplished through this cooperative agreement, will in effect serve to increase the analytical capacity for FDA and enhance efforts to protect the food supply. Data generated by recipient laboratories will be made available for consideration of FDA enforcement actions as well as for surveillance purposes and during response to foodborne outbreaks through eLEXNET. Laboratory accreditation will also assist State manufactured food regulatory programs in achieving conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS).

Awards of up to $300,000/year for laboratories seeking to obtain ISO/IEC 17025:2005 acceditation
Awards of up to $150,000/year for currently accredited laboratories seeking to maintain and increase the scope of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory acceditation

Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS)

The intended outcome of this cooperative agreement is to advance efforts for a nationally integrated food safety system by assisting retail food regulatory programs in achieving conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS or Retail Program Standards). The Retail Program Standards apply to the operation and management of a retail food regulatory program that is focused on the reduction of risk factors known to cause or contribute to foodborne illness and to the promotion of industry action to achieve active managerial control of these risk factors. Under the cooperative agreement, the state, local, territorial, or tribal jurisdiction would implement a continuous program improvement/enhancement strategy (strategic plan) using the FDA VNRFRPS. The strategic plan may include implementing individual standards that have not yet been met, pursuing enhancements to implemented standards, or developing innovative intervention strategies designed to reduce the occurrence of contributing risk factors associated with foodborne illness. The strategic plan should identify the timeframes, personnel and other resources required for implementation. The goal of developing and sustaining the FDA VNRFRPS is in concert with long-term goals to: enhance the food inspection, food safety and foodborne illness response programs; increase the programs' ability to inspect and obtain compliance in their jurisdiction involved in retail food regulation; and verify compliance with state, local and tribal laws and regulations, food defense, and other food protection requirements in support of the state, local, territorial, and tribal program and the FDA Food Safety Initiative. Eligible entities include state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies with primary regulatory responsibility for retail food establishments, or those government agencies with substantial involvement and control over such agencies. In addition, the retail food regulatory agency must be enrolled in the VNRFRPS and have completed a current self-assessment against the Retail Program Standards as required by Standard 9.

States currently recieving funds are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Building the Capacity of Food Safety Entities to Protect Public Health in Response to a Notification under Section 1008 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or a Recall of Foods (FSMA Emergency Response)

The intended outcome of this cooperative agreement is to facilitate long-term improvements to the national food safety system by building the capacity of food safety entities to take appropriate action, including planning and otherwise preparing to take such action, to protect the public health in response to a notification under section 1008 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or a recall of food under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Food safety (unintentional contamination) and food defense (intentional contamination) are both ongoing issues. FDA feels it is critical that these programs be integrated to the maximum extent possible to ensure the most efficient use of resources and optimize the response to any type of threat to the food supply. The definition of food is for both human and animal consumption. Incidents affecting the human food supply will often impact animal feed and vice versa. Applicants may pursue a variety of projects to enhance their ability to protect public health in response to a notification under section 1008 or a recall of food under the FD&C Act. In addition, collaborations are encouraged with relevant entities such as FDA Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), the CDC Foodborne Diseases Centers for Outbreak Response Enhancement (FoodCORE) Sites, FDA Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network, FoodNet, Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net), FDA Food Protection Task Forces, Partnership for Food Protection (PFP) Emergency Response Workgroup, or the Council for Improved Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR). Eligible entities include food safety programs that are either State, local, tribal, territorial, or non-profit food safety training entities that collaborate with one or more institutions of higher learning.

Building the Capacity of State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal Food Regulatory Agencies to Undertake Examinations, Inspections, and Investigations and Other Food Safety Activities Under Section 702 of the FD&C Act (FSMA Inspections)

The intended outcome of this cooperative agreement is to facilitate long-term improvements to the national food safety system by building the capacity of state, local, tribal, and territorial food safety agencies to undertake examinations, inspections, and investigations and related food safety activities under section 702 of the FD&C Act. Applicants may pursue a variety of projects to improve the capability and capacity for food safety agencies to protect public health by undertaking examinations, inspections, and investigations, and other related food safety activities under section 702. The outcome of the work provided under this cooperative agreement would include advancing an integrated national food safety system this as well as meeting provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Additional outcomes include measurable improvement in the capability and capacity for food safety agencies to protect public health and the development of strategies that result in the measurable improvement of the capability and capacity for food safety agencies to protect public health by undertaking examinations, inspections, and investigations and other related food safety activities under section 702 that can be shared and duplicated on a national basis by other food safety agencies as well as the metrics and/or tracking systems to assess the improvement in capacity. Eligible entities include food safety programs that are either State, local, tribal, territorial, or non-profit food safety training entities that collaborate with one or more institutions of higher learning.

Grants

Food Protection Task Force Conference Program

Food Protection Task Force meetings foster communication and cooperation and collaboration within the States among State, local, and tribal food protection, public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies. The meetings should: (1) Provide a forum for all the stakeholders of the food protection system—regulatory agencies, academia, industry, consumers, State legislators, Boards of Health and Agriculture, and other interested parties; (2) assist in adopting or implementing the Food Code and other food protection regulations; and (3) promote the integration of an efficient statewide food protection/defense system that maximizes the protection of the public health through prevention, intervention and response including the early detection and containment of foodborne illness.

Awards up to $10,000
States currently receiving funds are: Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Learn more about the Task Forces here.

Innovative Food Defense Program

The Innovative Food Defense Program (IFDP) grants are designed to generate food defense tools and resources that are easily replicated and can complement, aid in the development of, or improve State, local, Tribal and territorial (SLTT) food defense programs. The known overlap between food safety (unintentional contamination) and food defense (intentional contamination) is extensive and the pool of resources available is often the same. As the Food Safety Modernization Act recognizes the evolution of the relationship between food safety and food defense, it is critical that these programs be integrated to the maximum extent possible in order to ensure the most efficient use of resources, as well as to optimize response to an incident or event.

Recipients were awarded up to $100,000.
North Carolina, New Mexico and Somerset County, NJ were awarded the IFDP grant in FY2011.
View previous accomplishments by grantees under the Innovative Food Defense Grant Program.
For more information on the IFDP, please visit the Food Defense Oversight Team's website.

Small Science Conference Grants (FDA-Wide Program)

Grant funds are awarded to host an annual scientific conference, seminar, workshop, or symposium with a topic of interest and relevance to the FDA Center supporting the grant.

Awards up to $25,000
Associations currently receiving funds are: National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), National Egg Regulatory Officials (NERO), and Conference for Food Protection (CFP).