Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 12 014
Apply for RFA FD 12 014
- The Food Drug Administration in the consumer protection food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project (U18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.103 Food and Drug AdministrationResearch.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 3, 2012 and posted on May 3, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 6, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project (U18), Funding Opportunity Number RFA FD 12 014, was a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discretionary grant opportunity structured as cooperative agreements. The program was designed as a limited competition with up to three awards, aimed specifically at state governments. Its central purpose was to help states build, put into practice, and sustain practical, repeatable models for an "all-hazards" Rapid Response Team (RRT) approach focused on food and foodborne illness incidents. In plain terms, the FDA was looking to fund a small number of states to develop strong, working response capabilities that could be copied and scaled across the broader national food safety system.
A key theme of this opportunity was long-term strengthening of the national, integrated food safety system rather than short, one-off projects. The FOA emphasized improving how agencies work together and raising the capability of state regulatory and surveillance programs that protect the public from risks associated with manufactured foods. That includes the kinds of systems and staffing needed to detect problems early, coordinate investigations quickly, manage response actions efficiently, and share information across partners in a way that reduces confusion and duplication during an outbreak or other major food safety event. The "all-hazards" framing signals that the RRT concept was meant to be useful not only for typical foodborne illness outbreaks, but also for a broad range of food-related emergencies, including contamination events that may be accidental or intentional.
Because the awards were cooperative agreements (not standard grants), the FDA intended to be actively involved in the funded work. The announcement made it clear that recipients would need extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices and other FDA program offices. That distinction matters: it implies ongoing federal engagement in planning, implementation, alignment with FDA priorities, and coordination of activities, rather than simply providing funding and reviewing periodic reports. The FOA also stressed leveraging existing resources and harmonizing efforts so that state and federal actions reinforce each other instead of operating in separate lanes.
Collaboration beyond the FDA was also treated as a requirement for success. The announcement highlighted the need to coordinate with other federal partners, specifically naming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service, along with national initiatives and associations and state and local partners. This reflects the reality that food safety incidents often cross jurisdictional lines and involve multiple systems (public health surveillance, laboratory testing, regulatory inspections, traceback and traceforward, communications with industry and the public, and in some cases enforcement actions). The funded states were expected to build models that make those cross-agency processes faster, clearer, and more consistent.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted May 3, 2012, with a closing date of July 6, 2012, and an archive date of August 5, 2012. The program fell under CFDA 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration). The estimated total funding amount was $1,500,000, with an award ceiling of $500,000 per award and no stated minimum award amount (award floor listed as $0). There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. With three expected awards and a $500,000 ceiling, the budget structure aligns with the intent to select a small set of states and resource them enough to implement meaningful program improvements and demonstrate workable RRT and infrastructure approaches that could later be replicated elsewhere.
Overall, this FOA can be understood as an FDA effort to invest in state-level operational readiness and infrastructure improvements that directly strengthen the national food safety safety net. Rather than focusing solely on research, it focused on implementation: building coordinated rapid response capacity, improving regulatory and surveillance systems for manufactured foods, and institutionalizing collaboration practices that help agencies act quickly and consistently during food safety emergencies. For access issues with the full announcement, the listed grants management contact was Lisa Ko at lisa.ko@fda.hhs.gov.
FAQs: Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project (U18) - RFA FD 12 014
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity was the Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project (U18), Funding Opportunity Number RFA FD 12 014. It was a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discretionary grant opportunity structured as cooperative agreements.
Who offered the funding?
The funding was offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What type of award was used (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The awards were cooperative agreements. This means the FDA intended to be actively involved in the funded work, not simply provide funding and receive periodic reports.
What was the main purpose of the program?
The central purpose was to help states build, implement, and sustain practical, repeatable models for an "all-hazards" Rapid Response Team (RRT) approach focused on food and foodborne illness incidents, with the intent that these models could be copied and scaled across the national food safety system.
What does "all-hazards" mean in this context?
"All-hazards" indicates the RRT concept was meant to support responses not only to typical foodborne illness outbreaks, but also to a broad range of food-related emergencies, including contamination events that may be accidental or intentional.
What kinds of incidents was the Rapid Response Team approach meant to address?
The RRT approach was aimed at food and foodborne illness incidents, and it was designed to be useful for a wide range of food-related emergencies, including outbreaks and contamination events.
Was this opportunity focused on research or implementation?
It was focused on implementation, emphasizing building coordinated rapid response capacity and improving regulatory and surveillance systems rather than conducting research alone.
Who was eligible to apply?
The opportunity was aimed specifically at state governments and was designed as a limited competition.
How competitive was the program?
It was a limited competition with up to three awards, meaning only a small number of state applicants were expected to be selected.
How many awards were expected?
Up to three awards were expected.
What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding amount was $1,500,000.
What was the maximum award amount per recipient?
The award ceiling was $500,000 per award.
Was there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount was stated. The award floor was listed as $0.
Was cost-sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What was the program trying to strengthen over the long term?
A key theme was long-term strengthening of the national, integrated food safety system, rather than supporting short, one-off projects. The program emphasized sustained improvements in preparedness, coordination, and consistent response practices.
What areas of state capability were emphasized?
The FOA emphasized improving how agencies work together and raising the capability of state regulatory and surveillance programs that protect the public from risks associated with manufactured foods. It highlighted the need for systems and staffing to detect problems early, coordinate investigations quickly, manage response actions efficiently, and share information across partners to reduce confusion and duplication during major events.
What did the FDA expect from recipients because these were cooperative agreements?
Recipients were expected to work with extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices and other FDA program offices. The cooperative agreement structure implied ongoing federal engagement in planning, implementation, alignment with FDA priorities, and coordination of activities.
Which FDA offices were recipients expected to coordinate with?
The FOA stated recipients would need extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices and other FDA program offices.
Was collaboration with other federal partners expected?
Yes. Coordination with other federal partners was emphasized, specifically naming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Why did the FOA emphasize cross-agency coordination?
The FOA recognized that food safety incidents often cross jurisdictional lines and involve multiple systems such as public health surveillance, laboratory testing, regulatory inspections, traceback and traceforward, communications with industry and the public, and sometimes enforcement actions. The funded states were expected to build models that make these cross-agency processes faster, clearer, and more consistent.
What does it mean to "leverage existing resources" and "harmonize efforts" in this program?
The FOA stressed leveraging existing resources and harmonizing efforts so state and federal actions reinforce each other rather than operating separately. In practical terms, this points to aligning plans and operations with partners to avoid duplication and confusion during outbreaks or other major food safety events.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The program fell under CFDA 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration).
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 3, 2012.
What was the application closing date?
The closing date was July 6, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was August 5, 2012.
Who was the grants management contact for access issues with the full announcement?
The listed grants management contact was Lisa Ko at lisa.ko@fda.hhs.gov.
What did the FDA want funded states to produce or demonstrate?
The FDA intended to fund a small number of states to develop strong, working response capabilities and practical, repeatable RRT and infrastructure approaches that could be replicated and scaled across the broader national food safety system.
How does this program relate to manufactured foods?
The FOA emphasized raising the capability of state regulatory and surveillance programs that protect the public from risks associated with manufactured foods.
What broader outcome was this FOA designed to support?
Overall, the FOA was an FDA effort to invest in state-level operational readiness and infrastructure improvements that directly strengthen the national food safety safety net through coordinated rapid response capacity and institutionalized collaboration practices.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA FD 12 014) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Limited Competition Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18) Apply for RFA FD 12 011 Funding Number: RFA FD 12 011 Agency: Food Drug Administration Category: Consumer Protection Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $70,000 |
| Predictive Methods for Characterizing Product Performance in Pediatric Patients, Case Study Furosemide Apply for RFA FD 13 035 Funding Number: RFA FD 13 035 Agency: Food Drug Administration Category: Consumer Protection Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| National Research Project to Assess State Agricultural Laws, Regulations, and Resources Related to Produce Safety (U01) Apply for RFA FD 14 085 Funding Number: RFA FD 14 085 Agency: Food Drug Administration Category: Consumer Protection Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
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