Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 15 020
Apply for RFA FD 15 020
- The Food Drug Administration in the food and nutrition health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Food Protection Rapid Response Team (RRT) (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 11, 2015 and posted on May 11, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 8, 2016 Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) May 15, 2015 and January 5, 2016 Letter of Intent Due Date(s) May 28, 2015 and January 15, 2016, by 1159 PM Eastern Time. Application Due Date(s) July 15, 2015 (FY2015) and March 8, 2016 (FY2016), by 1159 PM Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Food Protection Rapid Response Team (RRT) (U18) funding opportunity (RFA-FD-15-020) is a discretionary cooperative agreement program run by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under CFDA 93.103. Its central purpose is to strengthen the national, integrated food safety system by helping states build and maintain strong, coordinated, fast-moving teams that can respond to food and animal feed emergencies across jurisdictions. The emphasis is on long-term capability building, not just handling one incident at a time. By funding state-led Rapid Response Teams, the program aims to make outbreak and contamination responses more unified, more consistent, and more effective from detection through containment and prevention.
A major focus of the opportunity is improving how different public health and regulatory functions work together during food and feed emergencies. In practice, that means strengthening the operational link between epidemiology (tracking illness patterns and identifying likely sources), laboratory services (testing food, clinical, and environmental samples), and environmental health or regulatory programs (inspections, enforcement actions, and control measures). The grant is designed to push states toward truly integrated investigations where these groups share information quickly, coordinate decisions, and align their actions so that outbreaks can be identified sooner and addressed more decisively.
Another core goal is helping states modernize and formalize their emergency response structure using Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) principles, including the use of Unified Command when multiple agencies or jurisdictions are involved. The program encourages states to treat food and feed events as all-hazards incidents, meaning the same scalable command and coordination framework should apply whether the incident involves pathogens, chemicals, adulteration, or other contamination risks. The intended outcome is faster recognition of high-risk products, rapid and well-coordinated removal of tainted items from commerce (such as recalls, embargoes, or other control actions), and stronger root cause investigations that identify how and why contamination occurred so that future prevention measures can be put in place.
Beyond incident response mechanics, the opportunity explicitly supports the foundational pieces that make rapid response possible and sustainable. These supporting components include workforce training and exercises, improved data sharing and data analysis methods, stronger internal and external communications, continuous process improvement, and the development and spread of best practices and practical resources that can be adopted nationally. In other words, the program is not only paying for response activity; it is also paying for the systems, skills, and processes that allow teams to respond consistently and improve over time.
Because this is a cooperative agreement, awardees should expect substantial involvement and collaboration with the FDA rather than operating completely independently. The announcement notes that funded work will require extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices and other FDA program offices. This structure is meant to ensure that federal and state efforts are aligned during multi-jurisdictional events, that information flows efficiently, and that response approaches become more standardized across the country.
In terms of basic funding details, FDA anticipated making about 18 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $5.4 million and an award ceiling of $450,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated. Eligibility is limited to state governments, reflecting the program's intent to bolster state regulatory and public health infrastructure and to support state-led coordination with local and federal partners.
Key dates listed in the opportunity include an initial posting date of May 11, 2015, with two cycles of key submission timing. The earliest submission dates were May 15, 2015 and January 5, 2016. Letters of intent were due May 28, 2015 and January 15, 2016 (by 11:59 PM Eastern Time). Full applications were due July 15, 2015 (FY2015) and March 8, 2016 (FY2016), also by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The opportunity closed March 8, 2016 and was archived April 7, 2016. For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement, the listed grants management contact was Daniel Lukash (240-402-7596, daniel.lukash@fda.hhs.gov), and the announcement referenced the full RFA posting on the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.
Food Protection Rapid Response Team (RRT) (U18) Grant (RFA-FD-15-020) FAQs
What is the Food Protection Rapid Response Team (RRT) (U18) funding opportunity?
The Food Protection Rapid Response Team (RRT) (U18) opportunity (RFA-FD-15-020) is a discretionary cooperative agreement program run by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under CFDA 93.103. It funds state-led Rapid Response Teams to improve how food and animal feed emergencies are detected, investigated, contained, and prevented across jurisdictions.
What is the central purpose of this program?
The program is intended to strengthen the national, integrated food safety system by helping states build and maintain strong, coordinated, fast-moving response teams. The emphasis is on long-term capability building (systems, skills, coordination, and sustainability), not only responding to a single incident.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to state governments.
Which federal agency administers the grant?
The grant is administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What type of award is this (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement. That means awardees should expect substantial involvement from FDA and ongoing collaboration rather than operating fully independently.
What does "substantial involvement" by FDA mean in this program?
The announcement indicates that funded work will require extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices and other FDA program offices. The intent is to align state and federal actions during events that cross jurisdictions, improve information flow, and standardize response approaches.
What kinds of incidents are Rapid Response Teams expected to address?
The program targets food and animal feed emergencies, including outbreaks and contamination events that may involve pathogens, chemicals, adulteration, or other contamination risks.
Is the program focused on day-to-day response or long-term capacity building?
It is explicitly focused on long-term capability building. The funding is meant to support the systems, processes, training, and coordination structures that allow teams to respond consistently and improve over time, not just to fund one-off incident handling.
What does the program mean by an "integrated" food safety response?
Integration refers to improving how key functions work together during emergencies, particularly epidemiology, laboratory services, and environmental health/regulatory programs. The aim is for these groups to share information quickly, coordinate decisions, and align actions so investigations move faster and lead to more decisive control measures.
Which public health and regulatory functions are emphasized for coordination?
The opportunity highlights strengthening the operational link between:
- Epidemiology (tracking illness patterns and identifying likely sources)
- Laboratory services (testing food, clinical, and environmental samples)
- Environmental health or regulatory programs (inspections, enforcement actions, and control measures)
What response framework does the program encourage states to use?
The program encourages states to modernize and formalize emergency response using Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) principles, including Unified Command when multiple agencies or jurisdictions are involved.
What is Unified Command and when is it expected to be used?
Unified Command is an approach within ICS/NIMS used when multiple agencies or jurisdictions share responsibility for an incident. The program encourages its use when food or feed emergencies involve more than one agency or jurisdiction.
What does it mean to treat food and feed events as "all-hazards" incidents?
It means applying the same scalable command and coordination framework (ICS/NIMS) regardless of the cause of the incident, whether it involves pathogens, chemicals, adulteration, or other contamination risks.
What outcomes is this program trying to improve during an emergency?
The intended outcomes include faster recognition of high-risk products, rapid and well-coordinated removal of contaminated items from commerce (for example, recalls, embargoes, or other control actions), and stronger root cause investigations to determine how contamination occurred and how to prevent it in the future.
What are examples of control actions mentioned in the opportunity?
The description specifically notes removing tainted items from commerce through actions such as recalls, embargoes, or other control actions.
Does the program support root cause investigations?
Yes. A stated goal is stronger root cause investigations that identify how and why contamination occurred so prevention measures can be implemented.
Besides incident response, what supporting capabilities does the grant support?
The opportunity supports foundational components that make rapid response possible and sustainable, including:
- Workforce training and exercises
- Improved data sharing and data analysis methods
- Stronger internal and external communications
- Continuous process improvement
- Development and dissemination of best practices and practical resources that can be adopted nationally
How many awards were anticipated?
FDA anticipated making about 18 awards.
What was the estimated total funding level?
The estimated total funding level was $5.4 million.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $450,000.
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is stated in the provided opportunity information.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number is 93.103.
When was the opportunity initially posted?
The initial posting date was May 11, 2015.
What were the key submission cycles and deadlines?
The opportunity listed two cycles with the following key dates (all deadlines noted as 11:59 PM Eastern Time where specified):
- Earliest submission dates: May 15, 2015 and January 5, 2016
- Letters of intent due: May 28, 2015 and January 15, 2016 (11:59 PM ET)
- Full applications due: July 15, 2015 (FY2015) and March 8, 2016 (FY2016) (11:59 PM ET)
When did the opportunity close and when was it archived?
The opportunity closed on March 8, 2016 and was archived on April 7, 2016.
Was a letter of intent required, and when was it due?
The opportunity listed letter of intent deadlines of May 28, 2015 and January 15, 2016 (by 11:59 PM Eastern Time).
Where was the full announcement posted?
The opportunity referenced the full Request for Applications (RFA) posting on the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.
Who was the listed grants management contact for help accessing the announcement?
The listed grants management contact was Daniel Lukash. Phone: 240-402-7596. Email: daniel.lukash@fda.hhs.gov.
What does the program aim to improve across jurisdictions?
It aims to improve coordinated response across jurisdictions by funding state-led teams and encouraging unified, consistent approaches from detection through containment and prevention, including collaboration with FDA offices for multi-jurisdictional alignment.
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| Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) to Develop New Methods and Technologies for Assessment of Risk and for Early Diagnosis and Prognosis of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) (R43/R44) Apply for RFA DK 15 024 Funding Number: RFA DK 15 024 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Food and Nutrition Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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