Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 18 008
The Cooperative Agreement to Support the Western Center for Food Safety (WCFS) (U19) is an FDA funding opportunity designed to continue and strengthen a long-running public-private partnership focused on improving the safety of agricultural food production. The FDA describes the past decade of collaboration with WCFS as highly productive because it has generated applied research and practical education and outreach that fill real-world knowledge gaps in how agricultural foods can be produced more safely. This work directly supports FDA's broader public health mission by translating science into best practices that growers, processors, and other stakeholders can use to reduce contamination risks and improve food defense across FDA-regulated products.
A central driver behind this opportunity is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 and FDA's ongoing push toward a prevention-based, modern food safety system. In particular, the partnership is positioned to support implementation of the Produce Safety Rule and the Preventive Controls regulations, which were finalized in 2016. FDA emphasizes that research and outreach from WCFS can help stakeholders understand these standards, adopt effective practices, and achieve compliance. The agency also notes that its research priorities are shaped by policy and implementation needs, including the development of guidance documents that accompany regulations. WCFS has already contributed research that informed policy decisions tied to produce safety and preventive controls, and FDA expects WCFS to continue providing science that supports FSMA implementation as the regulatory environment evolves.
The opportunity also reflects FDA's view that strong partnerships are essential for successful FSMA rollout. FDA highlights that it has historically had limited direct ties with parts of the agricultural community, while academic centers often have established relationships and credibility with growers and related industries. By funding WCFS through a cooperative agreement, FDA aims to use WCFS as a bridge to the agricultural sector, expanding education and technical assistance so the industry can build capacity to meet FSMA standards before enforcement actions become necessary. This aligns with FDA's broader strategy of pairing rulemaking with robust training, outreach, and practical support.
The cooperative agreement would provide continued support for WCFS to pursue several interconnected objectives. First, WCFS would continue multidisciplinary applied research across laboratory, field, and educational settings, with the goal of producing practical, implementable solutions for agricultural operations. This research is intended to directly enhance food safety and food defense outcomes for products under FDA oversight. Second, WCFS would maintain and expand communication with a wide range of domestic and international stakeholders involved in food production and food safety. FDA frames this stakeholder engagement as a way to identify emerging knowledge gaps, spot opportunities for collaboration, and leverage existing resources to maximize impact with limited funds. Third, WCFS would strengthen its technical assistance and education efforts through multiple channels such as seminars and presentations, participation on advisory boards and committees, and extension-based outreach tied to agricultural extension appointments. Fourth, WCFS would continue building multi-institution collaborations so FDA has access to current scientific thinking on best agricultural practices across different agro-ecological regions, reflecting the reality that risk factors and effective interventions can vary by climate, crop, and production system. Finally, WCFS would specifically assist FDA with implementing FSMA standards connected to produce safety and preventive controls, reinforcing the program's emphasis on practical support for real-world compliance.
This funding announcement is issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-FD-18-008. The mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial involvement or partnership with the federal agency during the project period rather than a more hands-off grant relationship. The activity area is listed under agriculture, consumer protection, and food and nutrition, with CFDA number 93.103. The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $2,500,000. The original posting date was March 15, 2018, and the original closing date was May 21, 2018. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional details referenced in the full announcement, indicating that applicants likely needed to meet specific criteria laid out in the eligibility section of the funding notice.
Overall, the grant is best understood as targeted support for a specialized academic center to continue generating applied research and delivering training, outreach, and technical assistance that help the agricultural community prevent food safety problems and comply with FSMA. It is structured around the idea that prevention works best when regulators, scientists, and industry stakeholders share practical tools and evidence-based guidance, and when trusted intermediaries such as university-affiliated centers help translate regulatory requirements into workable on-farm and facility-level practices.Apply for RFA FD 18 008
- 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 Western Center for Food Safety (U19)" 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 15, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 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 $2,500,000.00 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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| 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 |
| Bioequivalence of Topical Products: Evaluating the Cutaneous Pharmacokinetics of Topical Drug Products Using Non-Invasive Techniques (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 012 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 012 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Renewal Applications: Centers of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 011 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 011 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Assuring Radiation Protection (U18) Apply for RFA FD 18 021 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 021 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| Exploration of HL7 FHIR Standards for Clinical Research and Post-market Surveillance (U24) Apply for RFA FD 18 016 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 016 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Development of a virtual bioequivalence trial simulation platform that integrates population pharmacokinetic modeling algorithms into physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models (U01) Apply for RFD FD 18 018 Funding Number: RFD 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 |
| Cooperative Agreement to Support the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (U01) Apply for RFA FD 18 009 Funding Number: RFA FD 18 009 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| 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 |
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