Program Description

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Division of Federal-State Relations (DFSR) in collaboration with the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is announcing the availability of an Agreement of Limited Competition. Only States with current FDA Food Safety contracts to provide funding to State agency food protection regulatory programs are eligible for a 3-year cooperative agreement to develop and sustain an all Food Hazards Rapid Response Team, encompassing both food and feed protection programs, through a process to further enhance and build the infrastructure of State food protection programs.

The goal of FDA's ORA Cooperative Agreement Program is to enhance, complement, develop and improve State manufactured food protection regulatory and surveillance programs. This will be accomplished through the provision of funding for program assessment, additional equipment, supplies, funding for personnel, and training including Incident Command System (ICS), rapid response team development and coordination, and exercises of the response team. This will also require extensive cooperation and coordination with FDA District Offices to minimize duplication of inspections, an FDA contractor (the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS)) in the development of Rapid Response Teams (RRT), and other FDA program offices. Click here to view the full announcememt.

WIFSS' role is to assist states selected or designated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in developing Rapid Response Teams. WIFSS will provide technical assistance and direction along with training program development and delivery. For questions regarding WIFSS' role, contact Dr. Michele Jay-Russell or Dr. Jerry R. Gillespie.

For all other inquiries, please contact one of the following designated FDA representatives below:

1. Scientific/Research Inquiries
   Jennifer Gabb, Project Officer
   Division of Federal-State Relations (HFC-150), Office of Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug Administration
   5600 Fishers Lane, rm. 12-07, Rockville, MD 20857
   telephone: 301-827-2899
   email: Jennifer.gabb@fda.hhs.gov
   website: http://www.fda.gov/ora/fed_state/Default.htm

2. Financial/Grants Management Inquiries
   Gladys M. Bohler, Grants Management Specialist
   Division of Acquisition Support and Grants, Food and Drug Administration
   5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 2105, Rockville, MD 20857
   telephone: 301-827-7168
   e-mail: gladys.melendez@fda.hhs.gov