FDA Opens First FY2027 Grant Funding Application Period for Animal Drugs for Minor Uses and Minor Species
Sponsors with Designated MUMS animal drugs who meet the eligibility requirements or their research partners are encouraged to apply.
May 22, 2026
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is now accepting new FY 2027 applications for grants to support the development and potential approval or conditional approval of new animal drugs intended to treat uncommon diseases (minor uses) in major species (horses, dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens) or to treat minor species. The complete Notice of Funding Opportunity is available at PAR-24-216: Minor Use Minor Species Development of Drugs (R01) (nih.gov).
The maximum individual award amount is $250,000 per year per awardee, for up to two years for routine safety, effectiveness, and some manufacturing studies ($500,000 total) and up to three years for toxicology studies ($750,000 total). Grant amount and availability is dependent upon available funding. Only animal drug sponsors with Designated MUMS animal drugs or their research partners are eligible to apply. Applicants must also meet other eligibility requirements.
The Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004 (MUMS Act) helps provide innovative ways to bring products to market for these small populations and is designed to help veterinary pharmaceutical companies and others overcome the roadblocks they face in providing animal drugs for a limited market. Before this legislation, veterinary pharmaceutical companies and others would rarely attempt to bring such drugs to market.
To date, the MUMS grant program has provided $8.4 million in support of 72 studies that support the FDA’s continuing mission to help ensure that safe and effective animal drugs are available for a wide range of species and conditions. MUMS grants have been awarded to support product development for a variety of indications, including the treatment and control of parasitic and bacterial diseases in various fish species; the treatment of certain cancers in dogs; and uses for horses, pheasants, and goats.
For this round of funding, the due date to submit an optional Letter of Intent to apply for a grant is June 19, 2026, and applications must be submitted by July 24, 2026, through the NIH ASSIST system or www.grants.gov.