Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 09 203
Apply for PAR 09 203
- The Food Drug Administration in the agriculture consumer protection disaster prevention and relief education employment, labor and training environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Food Defense Projects (R18)" 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 18, 2011 and posted on Jun 5, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 15, 2011 PLEASE NOTE While the source or likelihood of funding for the Innovative Food Defense program for FY 2011 has not yet been determined, all proposals that are received for the upcoming receipt date will be reviewed. Applications found to be responsive, complete, and are recommended for funding by the Ad Hoc Review Group will be advised accordingly. Applications will be considered for funding if funds become available. ATTENTION AS OF MAY 7, 2011 THE ADOBE FORMS A TEMPLATE PACKAGE WILL EXPIRE. ALL APPLICANTS MUST USE THE ADOBE FORMS B1 TEMPLATE PACKAGE TO APPLY TO THE FINAL RECEIPT DATE OF JULY 15, 2011.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments County governments City or township governments.
- This grant program is only available to State, local, and tribal government food regulatory agencies. (See SPOC requirements stated in section IV.A of this document). Grantees with active grant applications under the Innovative Food Defense Program are not eligible to apply under this FOA. Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed project as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for FDA support.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Innovative Food Defense Projects (R18) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 09-203) is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discretionary grant program designed to strengthen protection of the United States food supply against intentional contamination. In this context, "food defense" focuses on preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from deliberate acts that could compromise food safety, including events associated with terrorism or other intentional adulteration. The FDA is looking for applicants that can build or enhance innovative, practical food defense programs that can be implemented within U.S. jurisdictions and that support a more coordinated national posture across government and the private sector.
A central requirement of the opportunity is that proposed projects address the full continuum of FDA food defense strategy, organized into three broad areas: Awareness (Prevention/Preparedness), Response, and Recovery. Under Awareness, projects should help partners across federal, state, local, and tribal governments, along with industry and other private-sector stakeholders, better understand where the most significant vulnerabilities exist in the food system and what protective or mitigation steps can realistically reduce risk. Under Response, the emphasis is on developing the capability for a rapid, coordinated reaction to a foodborne intentional contamination incident, including the kinds of interagency coordination and operational readiness needed in a high-consequence event. Under Recovery, the program seeks to build the capacity for rapid coordinated recovery following an attack, which can include restoring normal operations, maintaining public confidence, and re-establishing safe food supply functions as quickly as possible. The FOA underscores that stakeholders must make informed decisions about how to apply limited resources across these three phases to best protect consumers and the broader food supply chain.
The FDA also points applicants toward existing food defense guidance and tools hosted by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), indicating that proposals should be grounded in, and able to leverage, established federal resources rather than reinventing baseline materials. The referenced site (www.cfsan.fda.gov/fooddefense) includes documents, tools, and links intended to support prevention and preparedness planning, vulnerability awareness, and related program development. In practice, this means competitive projects would likely demonstrate familiarity with these materials and propose a clear plan to adapt them for local or regional use, fill gaps, or create new approaches that complement FDA strategy.
Eligibility is narrowly defined. The grant is only available to state, local, and tribal government food regulatory agencies, including federally recognized Native American tribal governments and units of local government such as counties, cities, or townships, as applicable. Importantly, grantees with active grant applications under the Innovative Food Defense Program are not eligible to apply under this FOA, which is meant to prevent duplicate or overlapping applications. While the FOA notes that any individual with appropriate expertise may serve as the project director/principal investigator (PD/PI) and encourages participation from underrepresented groups and individuals with disabilities, the applicant organization itself must meet the government food regulatory agency requirement. The FOA also references SPOC requirements (typically tied to state review under intergovernmental review processes), signaling that applicants may need to coordinate with their state point of contact as part of submission compliance.
From a funding perspective, the opportunity anticipated a small number of awards and modest project budgets. The FOA listed an expected three awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $300,000. Each award was structured at $100,000, with both the ceiling and the floor set at $100,000, indicating a fixed award amount rather than a variable range. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which can make the program more accessible for eligible public agencies with limited discretionary funds.
The timeline reflects a multi-year FOA with three annual receipt dates. The first due date was July 15, 2009, followed by July 15, 2010, and a final application due date of July 15, 2011. The listing notes that, for FY 2011, the source or likelihood of funding had not yet been determined at the time of posting, but that applications received would still be reviewed, and those deemed responsive and recommended could be considered for funding if funds became available. Applicants for the final receipt date were also instructed to use a specific Adobe forms package (Adobe Forms B1) due to the expiration of the prior template package, an administrative detail that mattered for submission acceptance at that time. The FOA ultimately archived on July 16, 2011.
The grant spans multiple public-purpose activity categories, reflecting how food defense touches several domains at once: agriculture, consumer protection, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and training, environmental concerns, and health. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted federal investment in state, local, and tribal regulatory capacity to deter intentional food contamination, strengthen readiness and coordinated response, and shorten recovery time after an incident, using innovative program designs that align with FDA food defense strategy and leverage existing FDA/CFSAN tools and guidance.
For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement or navigating administrative issues, the FOA provided an FDA grants management contact: Gladys M. Bohler, Grants Management Officer/Grants Management Specialist, Food and Drug Administration, with phone, fax, and email contact information included in the notice.
Innovative Food Defense Projects (R18) (PAR 09-203) - FAQs
What is the Innovative Food Defense Projects (R18) grant opportunity?
The Innovative Food Defense Projects (R18) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 09-203) is a discretionary grant program from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is intended to strengthen protection of the United States food supply against intentional contamination by supporting innovative and practical food defense programs that can be implemented within U.S. jurisdictions.
What does "food defense" mean in this grant program?
In this program, "food defense" focuses on preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from deliberate acts that could compromise food safety. This includes intentional adulteration incidents associated with terrorism or other deliberate contamination events.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program aims to help applicants build or enhance innovative, practical food defense programs that strengthen local, state, tribal, and national preparedness and coordination across government and the private sector to deter intentional contamination and manage high-consequence incidents.
What types of projects is FDA looking to fund?
FDA is looking for projects that build or enhance innovative, practical food defense programs that can be implemented within U.S. jurisdictions and that support a more coordinated national posture across government and the private sector.
What is the required framework or approach that proposals must address?
Proposed projects are required to address the full continuum of FDA food defense strategy, organized into three broad areas: Awareness (Prevention/Preparedness), Response, and Recovery.
What does the "Awareness (Prevention/Preparedness)" area cover?
Under Awareness, projects should help partners across federal, state, local, and tribal governments, along with industry and other private-sector stakeholders, better understand where significant vulnerabilities exist in the food system and what protective or mitigation steps can realistically reduce risk.
What does the "Response" area cover?
Under Response, the emphasis is on developing the capability for a rapid, coordinated reaction to an intentional food contamination incident. This includes interagency coordination and operational readiness appropriate for a high-consequence event.
What does the "Recovery" area cover?
Under Recovery, projects should build capacity for rapid, coordinated recovery following an attack. This can include restoring normal operations, maintaining public confidence, and re-establishing safe food supply functions as quickly as possible.
Do projects need to cover all three areas (Awareness, Response, Recovery)?
Yes. A central requirement is that proposed projects address the full continuum of FDA food defense strategy across Awareness, Response, and Recovery.
How does the FOA describe the challenge of limited resources?
The FOA highlights that stakeholders must make informed decisions about how to apply limited resources across Awareness, Response, and Recovery to best protect consumers and the broader food supply chain.
Are applicants expected to use existing FDA food defense guidance and tools?
Yes. The FDA points applicants toward existing food defense guidance and tools hosted by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Proposals are expected to be grounded in and leverage established federal resources rather than reinventing baseline materials.
Where are the FDA/CFSAN food defense tools and guidance referenced in the FOA located?
The FOA references the CFSAN food defense resources site at www.cfsan.fda.gov/fooddefense, which includes documents, tools, and links to support prevention and preparedness planning, vulnerability awareness, and related program development.
What would a competitive proposal likely demonstrate regarding FDA/CFSAN materials?
Based on the FOA description, competitive projects would likely show familiarity with FDA/CFSAN food defense materials and present a clear plan to adapt them for local or regional use, fill gaps, or create complementary approaches aligned with FDA strategy.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility is limited to state, local, and tribal government food regulatory agencies. This includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and units of local government such as counties, cities, or townships, as applicable.
Can non-government organizations apply?
No. The applicant organization must be a state, local, or tribal government food regulatory agency as defined in the FOA summary provided.
Can an individual serve as the project director/principal investigator (PD/PI)?
Yes. The FOA notes that any individual with appropriate expertise may serve as the PD/PI. However, the applicant organization must still meet the eligibility requirement of being a government food regulatory agency.
Does the program encourage participation from underrepresented groups?
Yes. The FOA encourages participation from underrepresented groups and individuals with disabilities in roles such as PD/PI, provided the applicant organization is eligible.
Are applicants with an active Innovative Food Defense Program application eligible?
No. The FOA states that grantees with active grant applications under the Innovative Food Defense Program are not eligible to apply under this funding opportunity, to help avoid duplicate or overlapping applications.
What are the SPOC requirements mentioned in the FOA?
The FOA references SPOC requirements typically associated with state intergovernmental review processes. This suggests applicants may need to coordinate with their State Point of Contact (SPOC) to meet submission compliance requirements.
How many awards were expected under this opportunity?
The FOA listed an expected three awards.
What was the total funding amount anticipated?
The estimated total funding amount listed was $300,000.
How much was each award?
Each award was structured at $100,000, and both the ceiling and the floor were set at $100,000. This indicates a fixed award amount rather than a variable range.
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No. The FOA states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What were the application due dates?
The FOA described three annual receipt dates: July 15, 2009; July 15, 2010; and July 15, 2011.
Was funding guaranteed for the final (FY 2011) receipt date?
No. For FY 2011, the FOA listing noted that the source or likelihood of funding had not yet been determined at the time of posting. Applications would still be reviewed, and those recommended could be considered for funding if funds became available.
Were there any special submission requirements for the final receipt date?
Yes. Applicants for the final receipt date were instructed to use a specific Adobe forms package (Adobe Forms B1) due to the expiration of the prior template package.
When was the FOA archived?
The FOA ultimately archived on July 16, 2011.
What public-purpose activity categories does this grant touch?
The FOA indicated multiple public-purpose activity categories, including agriculture, consumer protection, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and training, environmental concerns, and health.
Who was the FDA grants management contact listed in the FOA?
The FOA provided a grants management contact: Gladys M. Bohler, Grants Management Officer/Grants Management Specialist, Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The notice included phone, fax, and email contact information.
What is the overall takeaway on what this grant is trying to achieve?
Overall, the opportunity is a targeted federal investment in state, local, and tribal regulatory capacity to deter intentional food contamination, strengthen readiness and coordinated response, and shorten recovery time after an incident, using innovative program designs aligned with FDA food defense strategy and leveraging existing FDA/CFSAN tools and guidance.
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