Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FSIS 03152010
Apply for USDA FSIS 03152010
- The Food Safety Inspection Service in the agriculture food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreements" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.479 Food Safety Cooperative Agreements.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 15, 2010 and posted on Mar 15, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Current State, Local, or Tribal FERN member laboratories with active status. The Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) integrates the nations food testing laboratories at the local, state, and federal levels into a network that is able to respond to emergencies involving biological, chemical, or radiological contamination of food. Please visit http://www.fernlab.org for more information regarding FERN including eligibility requirements and how to become a member. (note if you re not already a FERN member you are not eligible for this funding opportunity)
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreements opportunity is a discretionary federal grant program run by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to strengthen the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). FERN is a nationwide network that connects food testing laboratories across federal, state, local, and tribal governments so they can respond quickly when there is a suspected emergency involving contamination of the food supply. The core idea behind this funding is to reduce gaps in laboratory readiness by helping eligible FERN member labs build stronger, more consistent capacity to test for high-priority threat agents using standardized FERN methods.
This opportunity plans to make up to 25 cooperative agreement awards. The target recipients are current state, local, and tribal government laboratories that already have active status as FERN members. Eligibility is limited to existing FERN member labs; organizations that are not already part of the network are not eligible to apply under this announcement. The program is designed specifically to expand the number of laboratories within FERN that can perform threat agent testing and to improve the overall surge capacity of the network when an incident occurs. In practice, that means bringing more laboratories up to a level where they can reliably analyze a range of food matrices for microbiological and chemical threat agents and produce timely, defensible results during outbreaks, food defense investigations, or other emergency responses.
The funded activities emphasize practical capability building. Awards can support training on FERN threat agent methods, which helps lab staff learn and maintain the specialized procedures needed to run validated analyses under network expectations. The cooperative agreements can also support purchasing the equipment and supplies required to implement the selected FERN methods, addressing common barriers such as missing instrumentation, inadequate consumables, or lack of method-specific materials. In addition, the program allows reimbursement of personnel expenses, which can help labs dedicate staff time to method implementation, validation/verification work, training, readiness activities, and response-related assignments without having to divert resources from other essential public health or regulatory functions.
The overall purpose of these capacity awards is to improve the nation’s readiness to detect and respond to potential threats against the food supply. By increasing both capability (what methods a lab can perform accurately) and capacity (how much testing a lab can handle under pressure), the program supports faster and more coordinated responses to incidents involving biological or chemical contamination. It is positioned as a food defense and outbreak response investment, strengthening laboratory infrastructure so the network can quickly scale testing when there is a credible threat or an unfolding emergency.
Administrative details from the announcement include the funding opportunity number USDA-FSIS-03152010 and the CFDA program number 10.479 (Food Safety Cooperative Agreements). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning FSIS is expected to have substantial involvement in the project beyond simply issuing funds, often through coordination, technical guidance, or oversight aligned with FERN program needs. The posting date was March 15, 2010, with an application closing date of April 23, 2010, and no cost sharing or matching requirement stated. The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Food and Nutrition. For further information, the announcement points applicants to FERN resources at fernlab.org for membership and eligibility context, and lists a program contact: Michael Myers, Staff Officer, phone 706-546-3664.
FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreements (USDA-FSIS-03152010) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreements opportunity?
This is a discretionary federal grant program run by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to strengthen the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) by funding laboratory capability and capacity improvements for threat agent testing using standardized FERN methods.
What is FERN?
FERN (Food Emergency Response Network) is a nationwide network that connects food testing laboratories across federal, state, local, and tribal governments. The network is intended to support fast, coordinated laboratory response when there is a suspected emergency involving contamination of the food supply.
What is the main goal of this funding?
The core goal is to reduce gaps in laboratory readiness by helping eligible FERN member labs build stronger, more consistent capacity to test for high-priority threat agents using standardized FERN methods, improving both capability (methods a lab can perform accurately) and capacity (how much testing a lab can handle during an incident).
How many awards are expected under this opportunity?
The announcement plans to make up to 25 cooperative agreement awards.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to current state, local, and tribal government laboratories that already have active status as FERN members.
Can non-FERN laboratories apply?
No. Organizations that are not already part of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) are not eligible to apply under this announcement.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement indicates FSIS is expected to have substantial involvement in the project beyond simply issuing funds, such as coordination, technical guidance, or oversight aligned with FERN program needs.
What kinds of activities can the awards support?
Funded activities emphasize practical capability building, including training on FERN threat agent methods, purchasing equipment and supplies needed to implement selected FERN methods, and reimbursing personnel expenses tied to method implementation, verification/validation work, training, readiness activities, and response-related assignments.
Is training an allowable use of funds?
Yes. Awards can support training on FERN threat agent methods so laboratory staff can learn and maintain the specialized procedures needed to run validated analyses under network expectations.
Can funds be used to purchase equipment and supplies?
Yes. The cooperative agreements can support purchasing the equipment and supplies required to implement selected FERN methods, including addressing barriers such as missing instrumentation, inadequate consumables, or lack of method-specific materials.
Can the grant reimburse personnel expenses?
Yes. The program allows reimbursement of personnel expenses, which can help laboratories dedicate staff time to implementation, method verification/validation, training, readiness, and response activities without diverting resources from other essential functions.
What testing capabilities is the program trying to expand?
The program is designed to expand the number of laboratories within FERN that can perform threat agent testing and to improve network surge capacity. In practice, this means enabling more labs to reliably analyze a range of food matrices for microbiological and chemical threat agents and produce timely, defensible results during outbreaks, food defense investigations, or other emergency responses.
How does this opportunity relate to emergency response?
It is positioned as a food defense and outbreak response investment. By strengthening laboratory infrastructure and standardizing testing readiness, it helps the network scale testing quickly when there is a credible threat or unfolding emergency involving biological or chemical contamination.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the announcement.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is USDA-FSIS-03152010.
What is the CFDA program number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA program number is 10.479 (Food Safety Cooperative Agreements).
What category is this opportunity listed under?
The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Food and Nutrition.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting date was March 15, 2010.
What is the application deadline?
The application closing date was April 23, 2010.
Where can applicants find FERN membership and eligibility context?
The announcement points applicants to FERN resources at fernlab.org for membership and eligibility context.
Who is the program contact listed in the announcement?
The listed program contact is Michael Myers, Staff Officer, phone 706-546-3664.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture Food and Nutrition
Next opportunity: Expand and Strengthen Laboratory Technical Assistance and Quality Assurance Services in the Republic of Zimbabwe Under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
Previous opportunity: Integrated Regional Water Plan for the Central Valley of California
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for USDA FSIS 03152010
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA FSIS 03152010) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Food Aid Nutrition Enhancement Program Apply for USDA NIFA FANEP 003016 Funding Number: USDA NIFA FANEP 003016 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services Program Apply for USAID WASHINGTON EGAT 10 000003 RFA Funding Number: USAID WASHINGTON EGAT 10 000003 RFA Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Agriculture Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Apply for USDA FSIS 05032010 Funding Number: USDA FSIS 05032010 Agency: Food Safety Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Apply for USDA FSIS 06 30 2009 Funding Number: USDA FSIS 06 30 2009 Agency: Food Safety Inspection Service Category: Agriculture Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "USDA FSIS 03152010", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.