Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 18 009
The Cooperative Agreement to Support the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (U01) is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) funding opportunity designed to strengthen food safety systems worldwide by working through the FAO and its network of Member Nations. The central purpose of the award is to support research into how food safety systems currently function across FAO Member Nations and to use that evidence to identify practical ways to improve national and regional food control systems in line with FDA priorities. The larger goal is prevention: building stronger, more modern food safety systems that reduce the likelihood of foodborne hazards and safety failures before they escalate into outbreaks, trade disruptions, or public health emergencies. FDA makes clear that this is a global challenge it cannot address on its own, so the cooperative agreement is meant to leverage FAO reach, convening power, and technical capacity to broaden impact.
At the heart of the project is a diagnostic and strategy-building effort. The awardee is expected to study existing food safety and national food control systems in Member Nations, assess gaps and needs, and translate findings into clear opportunities for action that FAO could undertake with FDA alignment. The opportunity highlights several example project types that could follow from the research. These include developing policy support tools that help countries plan, prioritize, and invest in national food control systems; providing technical advice to help countries design or upgrade integrated and modern food control systems; strengthening country participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other international forums where food standards and emerging food safety and nutrition issues are debated; and reinforcing innovation in oversight by creating technical tools, guidance documents, and practical resources that address both technical and managerial aspects of food control and nutrition. Collectively, these activities point to a program that is not simply academic research, but applied work intended to shape policy, build operational capacity, and improve harmonization with international standards.
The opportunity is grounded in FAO's role as an intergovernmental organization with broad membership and a mandate closely tied to food security, nutrition, agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods, and economic development. FAO's scale (194 Member Nations, plus associate members and the European Union as a member organization) is presented as a major reason it is a strategic partner for FDA in a world where the food supply is increasingly diverse, globalized, and complex. FAO's core functions also frame how the work would be carried out: serving as a knowledge network that generates and shares evidence; providing policy expertise to help governments draft legislation and strategies; acting as a neutral convening platform where countries and experts can negotiate and coordinate; and translating knowledge into field-level action by mobilizing and managing resources to ensure projects achieve their outcomes. This cooperative agreement fits naturally into that model by supporting evidence generation and then turning that evidence into tools, guidance, and capacity-building interventions that countries can implement.
A major emphasis throughout the notice is capacity development, which FAO treats as a core corporate function supported by an organization-wide strategy and framework. The grant aligns with the idea that sustainable improvements in food safety depend on strengthening the ability of institutions and stakeholders to perform their roles over time, not just delivering one-off trainings or short-term technical assistance. In this context, "capacity development in food safety and quality" is described as a farm-to-table effort involving regulators, food businesses, academia, and consumers, all of whom share responsibility for ensuring food is safe for domestic consumption and export. The capacity lens also links food safety to market access and trade, reflecting the reality that stronger controls can protect public health while also enabling participation in domestic, regional, and international markets.
The opportunity also highlights the specific FAO units most relevant to the work. FAO's Food Safety and Quality Unit focuses on science-based food safety and quality management systems that reduce foodborne illness while supporting fair and transparent trade. Its functions include providing independent scientific advice that underpins international food standards, developing institutional and individual capabilities for food control and emergency response, supporting food safety policy frameworks, and expanding access to information and networks. Complementing that, FAO's Nutrition and Food Systems Division aims to make agricultural development more people-centered by improving access to and consumption of nutritious foods. Its work includes supporting evidence generation and dissemination on food systems innovations, helping decision-makers build policies and legal frameworks for nutrition- and health-focused food systems, improving consumer awareness of healthy diets, strengthening organizational and workforce capacity for nutrition-sensitive changes, improving stakeholder coordination and governance, and leveraging regional platforms to scale country-level efforts. Together, these units reflect the grant's combined focus on food safety systems and broader nutrition and food systems outcomes.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement (meaning substantial involvement is typically expected between the funder and recipient compared with a standard grant). The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, under CFDA 93.103, with an expected single award. The maximum funding amount listed is $1,000,000. The original funding opportunity number is RFA-FD-18-009, created April 20, 2018, with an original closing date of July 2, 2018. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, signaling that the applicant pool may be specialized or limited depending on the requirements described in the official eligibility section.
Overall, the grant can be understood as an FDA-FAO partnership mechanism intended to move countries toward stronger, more preventive, and more harmonized food safety systems. It prioritizes practical outputs such as policy tools, technical guidance, system modernization support, stronger engagement in Codex and related forums, and innovation in oversight and management. The expected payoff is a safer global food supply, fewer foodborne illnesses, better preparedness and response capacity, improved alignment with international standards, and stronger trade and food security outcomes driven by sustainable country capacity rather than short-lived interventions.Apply for RFA FD 18 009
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement to Support the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (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 Apr 20, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 2018. (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).
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Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA FD 18 009) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Cooperative Agreement to Support Regulatory Research Related to the 2018 Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the 21st Century Cures Act Apply for RFA FD 18 013 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 013 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $4,200,000 |
| Strengthen Regulatory Systems to Ensure the Safety and Quality of Food and Medical Products (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 022 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 022 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $4,500,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement to Support Regulatory Research Related to the 2018 Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the 21st Century Cures Act (U19) Apply for RFA FD 18 025 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 025 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Development of a virtual bioequivalence trial simulation platform that integrates population pharmacokinetic modeling algorithms into physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 018 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 018 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,800,000 |
| Strengthening Global Competency and Capacity in Inspectional Approaches and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 024 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 024 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Minor Use Minor Species Development of Drugs (R01) Apply for PAR 18 827 Funding Number: PAR 18 827 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Request for Information (RFI): FDA Standard Core Clinical Outcome Assessments and Endpoints Apply for RFI NOT FD 18 014 Funding Number: RFI NOT FD 18 014 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Validating Human Stem Cell Cardiomyocyte Technology for Better Predictive Assessment of Drug-Induced Cardiac Toxicity (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 002 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 002 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Patient Reported Outcomes Tool Development for Use in Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Clinical Trials (U01) Clinical Trial Optional Apply for RFA FD 19 005 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 005 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Patient Reported Outcomes Tool Development for Use in Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Clinical Trials (U01- Clinical Trial Required) Activity Code Apply for RFA FD 19 014 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 014 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Bioequivalence of Topical Products: Bioequivalence Considerations for Ungual, Scalp, Vaginal, Anal or Rectal Dosage Forms (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 008 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 008 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Bioequivalence of Topical Products: Elucidating the Sensorial and Functional Characteristics of Compositionally Different Topical Formulations (U01 Clinical Trial Required) Apply for RFA FD 19 009 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 009 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Bioequivalence of Topical Products: Evaluating the Cutaneous Pharmacokinetics of Topical Drug Products Using Pharmacokinetic Tomography (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 010 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 010 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement to Support the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health (U19 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA FD 19 003 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 003 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Enhancing Regulatory Science for the Risk Based Quality Assessment of Complex Products (U01) - Clinical Trials Optional Apply for RFA FD 19 011 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 011 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Advancing Post-Market Surveillance of High-Risk Facilities and Products through Signal detection, Data analysis, and the Review of the State of Quality (U01) Clinical Trial Optional Apply for PAR 19 190 Funding Number: PAR 19 190 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Advancing Manufacturing Processing and Control Strategies for Drug Substances and Drug Products (U01)- Clinical Trial Optional Apply for PAR 19 216 Funding Number: PAR 19 216 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $6,000,000 |
| Implementation of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (U18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 021 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 021 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Novel Approaches to Translational Evidence Generation to Advance Coordinated Registry Networks (CRNs) via Big Data Analytics Using Disparate Data Sources (U01 Clinical Trial Optional) Apply for RFA FD 19 020 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 020 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Cooperative Agreement to Support the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 019 Funding Number: RFA FD 19 019 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $750,000 |
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