Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 16 042
Apply for RFA FD 16 042
- The HHS-FDA in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Curriculum Standard Development for Integrated Food Safety System Regulators (U18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.103.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2016 and posted on May 03, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 08, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $7,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The National Curriculum Standard Development for Integrated Food Safety System Regulators (U18) funding opportunity (RFA-FD-16-042) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (HHS-FDA), specifically through the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Resource Management (ORM), and the Division of Human Resource Development (DHRD). It sits within the Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition activity area (CFDA 93.103) and is designed to strengthen the national approach to training food safety regulators who operate across federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal programs within an Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS).
The main purpose of the award is to push forward the development of the IFSS National Curriculum Standard (NCS). In practice, this means continuing the work of building and refining competency and curriculum frameworks that define what food safety regulators should know and be able to do, regardless of jurisdiction. A major emphasis is placed on further developing and validating competency statements, using analysis data and structured input from subject matter experts. The intent is to ensure the competencies are accurate, measurable, and aligned with real regulatory work, rather than being purely theoretical or inconsistent across agencies.
Beyond frameworks and competency statements, the opportunity also focuses on translating those standards into usable training products. Recipients are expected to create course content informed by the competency analysis and expert findings, and then pilot that content to test whether it effectively builds the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for IFSS regulators. The pilot component signals that the FDA is looking not just for curriculum outlines, but for training materials that can be trialed, evaluated, and improved based on feedback and performance outcomes. Overall, the work supports more consistent, higher-quality training for the broader regulatory community, with the end goal of improving food safety oversight through a shared national standard.
This FOA uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means the FDA expects substantial involvement during the project, such as collaboration on technical direction, milestones, and coordination with federal efforts tied to IFSS workforce development. The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and even individuals, with “others” potentially eligible depending on the additional eligibility language in the full announcement.
Funding details indicate an award ceiling of $7,500,000, with an expectation of around five awards. The opportunity was posted and created on May 3, 2016, and carried a closing date of July 8, 2016. In short, this grant opportunity is aimed at building a nationally consistent, competency-based training standard for food safety regulators, validating the underlying competencies with evidence and expert input, and producing piloted course content that can improve workforce capability across all participating IFSS partners.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is the National Curriculum Standard Development for Integrated Food Safety System Regulators (U18) funding opportunity, RFA-FD-16-042. It is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (HHS-FDA).
Which FDA offices are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is specifically associated with the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Resource Management (ORM), and the Division of Human Resource Development (DHRD).
What program or activity area does this fall under?
It sits within the Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition activity area and is identified as CFDA 93.103.
What is the main purpose of the award?
The main purpose is to advance the development of the Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) National Curriculum Standard (NCS) by continuing work on competency and curriculum frameworks for food safety regulators across jurisdictions.
What is the IFSS National Curriculum Standard (NCS) meant to do?
The IFSS NCS is meant to define what food safety regulators should know and be able to do, regardless of whether they work in federal, state, local, territorial, or tribal programs participating in an Integrated Food Safety System.
What types of work does the project emphasize?
A major emphasis is placed on further developing and validating competency statements using analysis data and structured input from subject matter experts, with the goal of making competencies accurate, measurable, and aligned with real regulatory work.
Why is competency validation a focus of this opportunity?
The intent is to ensure competencies are evidence-based, measurable, and tied to actual regulatory responsibilities, rather than being purely theoretical or inconsistent across agencies.
Does this opportunity only support frameworks and competency statements?
No. In addition to continuing the development of competency and curriculum frameworks, the opportunity also focuses on translating the standards into usable training products, including course content.
What training deliverables are expected from recipients?
Recipients are expected to create course content informed by competency analysis and subject matter expert findings, and to pilot that content to test whether it builds the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for IFSS regulators.
What does the pilot requirement suggest about FDA expectations?
The pilot component signals that FDA is looking for training materials that can be trialed, evaluated, and improved using feedback and performance outcomes, not just high-level curriculum outlines.
What is the broader goal of developing and piloting this curriculum?
The broader goal is to support more consistent, higher-quality training for the regulatory community and strengthen food safety oversight through a shared national standard across IFSS partners.
What funding mechanism is used?
This FOA uses a cooperative agreement mechanism.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for how the project will be run?
A cooperative agreement typically implies substantial FDA involvement during the project, such as collaboration on technical direction, milestones, and coordination with federal efforts related to IFSS workforce development.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and individuals. The FOA also notes that "others" may be eligible depending on additional eligibility language in the full announcement.
How much funding is available per award?
The funding details indicate an award ceiling of $7,500,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity indicated an expectation of around five awards.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted and created on May 3, 2016, and it had a closing date of July 8, 2016.
What kinds of regulators are intended to benefit from this work?
The effort is designed to strengthen the national approach to training food safety regulators who operate across federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal programs within an Integrated Food Safety System.
What does "discretionary" mean in the context provided?
Based on the information provided, the opportunity is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement; the provided summary does not add further detail beyond that description.
Is the goal to standardize training across different jurisdictions?
Yes. A core theme is improving consistency and quality of training across jurisdictions by using a shared, nationally consistent, competency-based standard for IFSS regulators.
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: HHS-FDA
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Next opportunity: Notice of Intent: Bats, people and properties: conservation and conflict
Previous opportunity: 2016-2017 Tribal ecoAmbassadors Grant Program
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 RFA FD 16 042
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA FD 16 042) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Collaboration in Regulatory Systems Strengthening and Standardization Activities to Increase Access to Safe and Effective Biological Products - (U01) Apply for RFA FD 16 044 Funding Number: RFA FD 16 044 Agency: HHS-FDA Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Expanded Access to Investigational Therapies (R01) Apply for RFA FD 17 001 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 001 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program (U18) Apply for PAR 17 141 Funding Number: PAR 17 141 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Search and Rescue peer-to-peer opioids prescriber education campaign Apply for RFA FD 17 008 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 008 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) (U18) Apply for RFA FD 17 005 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 005 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18) Apply for RFA FD 17 007 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 007 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $70,000 |
| Identification of Target Peptide Sequences for Zika IgM Diagnostic Device Apply for RFA FD 17 002 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 002 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $299,150 |
| Food Safety Preventive Controls and Produce Safety Standards: Building Competency in Latin America in Support of the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act Apply for RFA FD 17 011 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 011 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,100,000 |
| Creation and Implementation of the National Evaluation System for Health Technology (NEST) Coordinating Center (CC) Apply for RFA FD 18 002 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 002 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $30,000 |
| Global Pediatric Clinical Trials Network Apply for RFA FD 17 014 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 014 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Academic Development of a Training Program for Good Laboratory Practices in High Containment Environments (U24) Apply for RFA FD 17 013 Funding Number: RFA FD 17 013 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Building Research Capacity in Global Tobacco Product Regulation Program (U18) Apply for RFA FD 18 003 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 003 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $450,000 |
| Vet-LIRN Network Capacity-Building Projects Apply for PAR 18 604 Funding Number: PAR 18 604 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $225,000 |
| National Laboratory Curriculum Framework Development Apply for RFA FD 18 005 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 005 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement to Support the Western Center for Food Safety (U19) Apply for RFA FD 18 008 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 008 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Data Standards for Clinical Research and Drug Development (U24) Apply for RFA FD 18 015 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 015 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Bioequivalence of Topical Products: Elucidating the Thermodynamic and Functional Characteristics of Compositionally Different Topical Formulations (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 010 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 010 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Formulation drug product quality attributes in dermal physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models for topical dermatological drug products and transdermal delivery systems (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 019 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 019 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Three-Dimensional Approach for Modeling Nasal Mucociliary Clearance via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 020 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 020 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $280,000 |
| Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element modeling (DEM) approach for predictions of dry powder inhaler (DPI) drug delivery (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 014 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 014 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $380,000 |
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 "RFA FD 16 042", 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.