Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 16 034

  • The HHS-FDA in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strategies that Support Global Food Safety (U01)" 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 Mar 24, 2016 and posted on Mar 24, 2016.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by May 26, 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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for RFA FD 16 034

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Opportunity Summary:

The grant opportunity "Strategies that Support Global Food Safety (U01)" (RFA-FD-16-034) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (HHS-FDA), under CFDA 93.103. It was posted on March 24, 2016, with a closing date of May 26, 2016. The FDA indicated it intended to accept and consider a single-source application, meaning it was designed for one specific recipient rather than open competition. The intended awardee is the World Health Organization (WHO), specifically the Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses (FOS). The agency anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000.

At its core, this cooperative agreement is meant to strengthen global food safety by leveraging WHOs existing international networks and technical leadership. The focus is on improving the world’s understanding of the current state of food safety across countries, including major challenges, ongoing and emerging risks, and global trends that affect the safety of food supplies. The opportunity emphasizes the value of using established WHO systems and partnerships to gather evidence, identify hotspots and vulnerabilities, and translate information into practical strategies that countries and international bodies can use.

A major part of the work centers on supporting and expanding WHOs network-based efforts, such as the Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN), the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), the Global Environment Monitoring System for Food (GEMS/Food), and the Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases, including Zoonoses (GLEWS). These platforms play different but complementary roles in food safety: connecting laboratories and public health partners, enabling rapid communication and response to food safety incidents, collecting and analyzing data on contaminants and hazards, and improving early warning and situational awareness for threats that move between animals and people. By investing in these networks, the cooperative agreement aims to improve how quickly and effectively scientific and public health communities can detect and respond to foodborne hazards across borders.

Another key objective is to enable the sharing of scientific findings and data through expert meetings and technical consultations. This includes convening specialists to discuss evidence, compare approaches, interpret surveillance and laboratory data, and develop technical guidance. In practice, these types of convenings help align methods across countries, clarify best practices, and accelerate the spread of usable knowledge, particularly when new risks or outbreaks arise and there is a need for coordinated interpretation and action.

Capacity building is also central to the opportunity, with attention to strengthening capabilities at both international and national levels. The description specifically highlights laboratory analysis, surveillance systems, and the full spectrum of risk assessment and risk management. This includes improving the ability to detect hazards in food, monitor trends over time, and apply structured approaches to evaluating risk and selecting interventions. The cooperative agreement also points to the Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) as a mechanism for advancing integrated surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, reflecting the global concern that antimicrobial resistance affects food safety and public health through the food chain, animal production, and environmental pathways.

The opportunity further supports the scientific and standard-setting work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which is the primary international body responsible for food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice. The cooperative agreement anticipates contributions through scientific advisory groups that provide the evidence base used in Codex decision-making. These include the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), and the FAO/WHO Joint Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA). It also references the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Nutrition (JEMNU), described as being in development at the time, indicating an intention to support evolving scientific advisory capacity related to nutrition as it intersects with safety and standards work. Supporting these expert bodies helps ensure that international food standards are grounded in up-to-date science, risk assessment methodologies, and global data.

Finally, the announcement highlights enabling participation of WHO Member States through the Codex Trust Fund. This reflects a practical barrier in global standard-setting: many countries, particularly those with fewer resources, may struggle to participate consistently in Codex processes. Supporting participation helps broaden representation, improve the legitimacy and adoption of standards, and ensure that global food safety rules consider diverse regional needs and capacities rather than being driven only by a small subset of well-resourced participants.

Overall, the grant is structured to use WHOs unique convening power, technical expertise, and established international networks to strengthen global food safety intelligence, improve cross-border communication and early warning, build country-level and regional technical capacity, and reinforce the scientific foundation of international food safety standards. The cooperative agreement model also implies ongoing collaboration between FDA and WHO during the project period, with FDA having a more engaged role than in a standard grant, consistent with the shared goal of reducing foodborne risks in an interconnected global food system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name and identifier of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Strategies that Support Global Food Safety (U01)" and is identified as RFA-FD-16-034.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

It is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

What type of funding mechanism is this?

This is a discretionary cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement typically involves substantial programmatic involvement by the funding agency (here, FDA) compared with a standard grant.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.103.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on March 24, 2016, and the closing date was May 26, 2016.

Is this opportunity open to competition?

No. FDA indicated it intended to accept and consider a single-source application, meaning it was designed for one specific recipient rather than an open competitive process.

Who is the intended awardee?

The intended awardee is the World Health Organization (WHO), specifically the Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses (FOS).

How many awards did FDA anticipate making?

FDA anticipated making one award.

What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?

The award ceiling is $1,000,000.

What is the overall purpose of the cooperative agreement?

The purpose is to strengthen global food safety by leveraging WHO's existing international networks and technical leadership to improve understanding of the state of food safety across countries and translate that understanding into practical strategies.

What kinds of global food safety information is this project meant to improve?

The work emphasizes improving understanding of major challenges, ongoing and emerging risks, and global trends that affect the safety of food supplies across countries.

How does WHO's role support the goals of this opportunity?

The opportunity relies on WHO's established systems, partnerships, and convening power to gather evidence, identify hotspots and vulnerabilities, and help translate information into strategies that countries and international bodies can use.

Which WHO networks and platforms are specifically referenced?

The announcement highlights WHO network-based efforts including the Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN), the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), the Global Environment Monitoring System for Food (GEMS/Food), and the Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases, including Zoonoses (GLEWS).

What is the intended value of supporting networks like GFN, INFOSAN, GEMS/Food, and GLEWS?

These platforms are described as complementary tools for connecting laboratory and public health partners, enabling rapid communication and response during incidents, collecting and analyzing data on contaminants and hazards, and improving early warning and situational awareness for threats that can move between animals and people.

What kinds of activities related to evidence sharing are included?

The opportunity includes sharing scientific findings and data through expert meetings and technical consultations, where specialists can discuss evidence, compare approaches, interpret surveillance and laboratory data, and develop technical guidance.

Why are expert meetings and technical consultations emphasized?

They help align methods across countries, clarify best practices, and speed up the spread of usable knowledge, especially when new risks or outbreaks require coordinated interpretation and action.

What does "capacity building" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Capacity building here focuses on strengthening international and national capabilities related to laboratory analysis, surveillance systems, and the full spectrum of risk assessment and risk management for food safety.

What specific technical capabilities are highlighted for strengthening?

The description emphasizes improving the ability to detect hazards in food, monitor trends over time, and apply structured approaches to evaluating risks and selecting interventions.

How does antimicrobial resistance (AMR) fit into the scope of this award?

The opportunity references the Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) as a mechanism for advancing integrated AMR surveillance, reflecting concern about AMR impacts through the food chain, animal production, and environmental pathways.

How does this opportunity connect to international food standards?

It supports the scientific and standard-setting work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), described as the primary international body responsible for food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice.

Which Codex-related scientific advisory groups are mentioned?

The opportunity references scientific advisory groups that inform Codex decision-making, including the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), and the FAO/WHO Joint Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA).

What is JEMNU and how is it described in the announcement?

The announcement references the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Nutrition (JEMNU) as being in development at the time, indicating planned support for evolving scientific advisory capacity related to nutrition as it intersects with safety and standards work.

What is the Codex Trust Fund and why is it included?

The opportunity highlights enabling participation of WHO Member States through the Codex Trust Fund, addressing the challenge that many countries may lack resources to participate consistently in Codex processes.

Why is supporting Member State participation in Codex important?

Supporting participation helps broaden representation, strengthen legitimacy and adoption of standards, and ensure global food safety rules reflect diverse regional needs and capacities rather than primarily those of well-resourced participants.

What is the expected relationship between FDA and WHO under this award?

Because it is a cooperative agreement, the announcement indicates ongoing collaboration between FDA and WHO during the project period, with FDA having a more engaged role than in a standard grant.

What outcomes is this opportunity broadly trying to achieve?

It is structured to strengthen global food safety intelligence, improve cross-border communication and early warning, build technical capacity at country and regional levels, and reinforce the scientific foundation for international food safety standards.

Does the announcement indicate the award is intended to help respond to cross-border foodborne hazards?

Yes. A central theme is improving how quickly and effectively scientific and public health communities can detect and respond to foodborne hazards across borders by investing in WHO networks and coordination mechanisms.

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