Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 19 003

This funding opportunity (RFA-FD-19-003) is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cooperative agreement designed to continue and strengthen a long-running public-private partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) through its Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH). FDA frames the award as a continuation of a roughly thirty-year collaboration that began with IITs creation of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST), a hub intended to bring together academic researchers, industry experts, and FDA scientists around a shared goal: improving the safety of the U.S. food supply. Over time, NCFST developed a track record of producing practical research and real-world outreach, including well-known areas like low-moisture food safety and sprout safety, largely because it was structured to work directly with industry and regulators rather than operating in isolation.

In 2011, NCFST became part of the broader IFSH structure, where it continues to serve as a primary research center coordinating collaborative food safety and applied nutrition work among FDA (specifically CFSAN), IIT, and member companies. IFSH is described as a multi-center institute that also includes the Center for Processing Innovation, the Center for Nutrition Research, and the Center for Specialty Programs. The opportunity emphasizes that FDAs food safety challenges have grown more complex as the food supply has become more diverse and global, and that strengthening science-based programs like those housed at IFSH is a practical way to address emerging issues. FDA also highlights the value of innovative research paired with outreach as a way to prevent problems earlier, rather than reacting after outbreaks or contamination events occur.

A major driver in the background is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), enacted in 2011, which shifted U.S. food oversight toward a modern, prevention-based model. FDA positions the IFSH partnership as increasingly important to meeting FSMA responsibilities, especially because FSMA relies heavily on preventive controls and on translating science into practices that manufacturers and processors can actually adopt. The grant is therefore not just about producing academic findings; it is meant to support an applied, collaborative program that connects research results to education, communication, and real implementation. FDA explicitly notes that building and strengthening public-private partnerships for research and outreach on preventive controls is a key part of its FSMA implementation strategy.

The cooperative agreement is intended to support four core objectives. First, IFSH is expected to conduct multidisciplinary, applied research relevant to FDA-regulated products, with a focus on the safety of processed foods, food processing and packaging technologies, how processing strategies affect nutritional quality, and how well laboratory methods perform, including method validation. Second, the program is expected to maintain and further develop the IFSH collaborative research model by leveraging resources across U.S. government agencies, universities (including other parts of IIT), and the food industry to produce practical solutions to food safety and processing problems. Third, IFSH is expected to run outreach and communication efforts with stakeholders so that research priorities reflect real needs and so that findings are actively shared and used, rather than remaining only in publications or internal reports. Fourth, the work should directly support FSMA implementation through research, education, and outreach, with particular emphasis on the science behind preventive controls for manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding food.

From an administrative standpoint, the award is a discretionary cooperative agreement in the Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition activity area under CFDA 93.103. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $10,000,000, reflecting FDAs intent to support one centralized, high-capacity partnership entity rather than multiple smaller projects. The original opportunity was posted February 13, 2019, with an original closing date of April 22, 2019. The eligibility category is listed as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, which is typical for opportunities that are tailored to a specific partnership structure and existing institutional capabilities.

Overall, this announcement is best understood as FDAs mechanism for sustaining and expanding a proven, collaborative institute that can rapidly translate food safety science into validated methods, practical preventive controls, and stakeholder-facing guidance. It aims to keep FDA, academia, and industry aligned around shared research priorities, while also building the communication and training pathways needed to put FSMA-era prevention into everyday practice across the food system.

  • 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 Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health (U19 Clinical Trial Optional)" 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 Feb 13, 2019.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 22, 2019. (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 $10,000,000.00 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 19 003

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:

Browse more business programs for Technology Service Providers, Food Safety Research

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition

Next opportunity: Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs

Previous opportunity: National Laser Users' Facility (NLUF)

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 19 003

 

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RFA FD 19 003) also looked into and applied for these:

Funding Opportunity
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
Renewal Application: Increasing the Quality and Efficiency of Clinical Trials (U18) Clinical Trial Required Apply for RFA FD 19 015

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 015
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $37,500,000
Convener and organizer of activities and engagements focused on the development of medical products and related processes, surveillance, and policies relevant to ongoing public health activities. (U01) Clinical Trial Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 19 013

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 013
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $3,500,000
Renewal Application: Kidney Health Initiative (R18) Clinical Trials Optional Apply for RFA FD 19 016

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 016
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 Regulatory Research Related to the 2018 Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the 21st Century Cures Act (U01) Clinical Trials Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 19 026

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 026
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $1,000,000
Information Sharing System for State-Regulated Drug Compounding Activities (U01) Clinical Trial Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 19 025

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 025
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $1,600,000
Renewal Application: Critical Path Public Private Partnerships (U18) Clinical Trials Optional Apply for RFA FD 19 027

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 027
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $100,000,000
Implementation of U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act - Identifying, Researching, and Implementing Alternative Methods to Expand the Reach across the Global Supply Chain (U01) - Clinical Trials Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 19 022

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 022
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $2,750,000
Cigar Tobacco Reference Products Program (UC2) Clinical Trials Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 20 002

Funding Number: RFA FD 20 002
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $7,400,000
Rare Disease Clinical Outcome Assessment Consortium (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 029

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 029
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $300,000
Drug Development Tools Research Grants (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA FD 19 028

Funding Number: RFA FD 19 028
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $250,000
Heart Failure Collaboratory (R18) Clinical Trials Optional Apply for RFA FD 20 005

Funding Number: RFA FD 20 005
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $2,150,000
Local Food Producer Outreach, Education, and Training to Enhance Food Safety and FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Compliance (U01) Clinical Trial Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 20 006

Funding Number: RFA FD 20 006
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $2,000,000
Native American Tribes Outreach, Education, and Training to Enhance Food Safety and FSMA Compliance (U01) Clinical Trial Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 20 004

Funding Number: RFA FD 20 004
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: Elucidating Fundamental Principles of Dermal Pharmacokinetics for Microdialysis or Microperfusion Techniques (U01) Clinical Trials Not Allowed Apply for RFA FD 20 019

Funding Number: RFA FD 20 019
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration
Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition
Funding Amount: $1,000,000

 

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

 

Inside Our Applicants Portal

  • Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
  • Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
  • Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Access Applicants Portal

 

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.

Learn More

 

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "RFA FD 19 003", 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.

 

Ask a Question: