Opportunity Information: Apply for FSIS FERN 10292020
The FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program is a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) funding opportunity intended to support the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), a national network of 169 federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories that help the government respond to food safety and food defense threats. FERN is jointly overseen by USDA FSIS and the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). Through this opportunity, FSIS plans to fund one cooperative agreement to strengthen and evaluate FERN laboratory readiness by running structured proficiency testing that measures how well member labs can detect and analyze microbiological and chemical threat agents in foods.
The central purpose of the cooperative agreement is to provide proficiency testing (PT) services under ISO 17043 accreditation, meaning the work is expected to follow internationally recognized requirements for proficiency testing providers. The awardee functions as the PT provider and is responsible for the end-to-end execution of PT events. That includes preliminary research, any needed modeling and analysis, preparation and storage of materials, packaging, and shipping of proficiency samples. The work is designed to assess the network's capability and capacity for threat agent testing using FERN methods as well as other validated approaches, covering both microbiology and chemistry disciplines.
Funding is structured as a one-year award cycle with up to $100,000 per year, and the announcement indicates the agreement may be renewed annually for up to five years. Continued funding depends on agency appropriations and a review of the awardee's past performance. Indirect costs are capped at 10 percent of the total award amount, which limits the portion of the budget that can be charged for overhead and similar indirect expenses.
The planned proficiency testing workload is organized around three main project areas for the fiscal year described. First, the awardee will coordinate FERN-wide proficiency sample distributions for both microbiological and chemical agents, using FSIS-regulated food matrices. The target scale is up to 75 microbiology sample sets and up to 60 chemical agent sample sets. Each sample set contains roughly 5 to 8 individual samples, and FSIS anticipates at least 2 to 3 PT offerings per year. The specific design and timing of these offerings are to be agreed upon with the FERN Proficiency Testing Committee, which signals that FSIS expects active coordination and alignment with FERN governance.
Second, the awardee will provide targeted Clostridium perfringens challenge sample sets to eight FERN laboratories. The opportunity specifies two requested sample set configurations that include a mix of uninoculated controls and inoculated samples representing different contamination forms and levels, including vegetative cells and spores at both high and low levels. In practice, this component is meant to evaluate lab performance on a pathogen of concern using realistic and graded challenges that can reveal detection and quantitation strengths and gaps.
Third, the announcement describes a potential additional workstream related to thermally processed foods, described as an additional possible funding source later in the agreement year. This portion involves 4 to 6 PT events annually in which a series of 12 samples is sent to one USDA FSIS field laboratory. The samples may include microorganisms associated with inadequate thermal processing and may also include packaged product samples from retort canning and tetrapak processing for physical examination of containers or packages for defects. Example organisms mentioned include Clostridium sporogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus, which are commonly used in process validation and challenge studies because of their relevance to heat resistance and thermal processing controls.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning FSIS is likely to have substantial involvement in guiding or coordinating the work rather than providing funds with minimal engagement. The opportunity lists CFDA number 10.479, anticipates a single award, and is associated with the USDA FSIS as the issuing agency. The original posting indicates an opportunity number of FSIS FERN 10292020, with an award ceiling of $100,000 and one expected award, reflecting a focused procurement of a single qualified PT provider to support network-wide readiness testing.Apply for FSIS FERN 10292020
- The Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.479.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 30, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 01, 2020. (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 $100,000.00 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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FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program (USDA FSIS) - FAQs
What is the FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program?
It is a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) funding opportunity to support the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) by funding one cooperative agreement focused on strengthening and evaluating FERN laboratory readiness through structured proficiency testing.
What is FERN?
FERN is the Food Emergency Response Network, a national network of 169 federal, state, and local regulatory laboratories that support government response to food safety and food defense threats.
Who oversees FERN?
FERN is jointly overseen by USDA FSIS and the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA).
What is the main purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The central purpose is to provide proficiency testing (PT) services to evaluate how well FERN member laboratories can detect and analyze microbiological and chemical threat agents in foods, using FERN methods as well as other validated approaches.
How many awards does FSIS plan to make under this opportunity?
The announcement anticipates a single award (one cooperative agreement).
What is the expected role of the awardee?
The awardee functions as the proficiency testing provider and is responsible for end-to-end execution of PT events, including preliminary research, any needed modeling and analysis, preparation and storage of materials, packaging, and shipping proficiency samples.
What accreditation standard applies to the proficiency testing services?
The PT services are expected to be provided under ISO 17043 accreditation, reflecting internationally recognized requirements for proficiency testing providers.
What types of testing does the proficiency testing cover?
The work is designed to assess threat agent testing capability and capacity across both microbiology and chemistry disciplines.
What kinds of food matrices will be used for proficiency testing?
The FERN-wide proficiency sample distributions will use FSIS-regulated food matrices.
How is the proficiency testing workload organized?
The planned workload for the fiscal year described is organized around three main project areas: (1) FERN-wide PT sample distributions for microbiological and chemical agents, (2) targeted Clostridium perfringens challenge sample sets to eight labs, and (3) a potential additional thermally processed foods workstream that may be funded later in the agreement year.
What is included in the FERN-wide proficiency sample distributions?
The awardee will coordinate FERN-wide distributions for both microbiological and chemical agents using FSIS-regulated food matrices, at a target scale of up to 75 microbiology sample sets and up to 60 chemical agent sample sets.
How many samples are in each proficiency testing sample set?
Each sample set contains roughly 5 to 8 individual samples.
How many FERN-wide proficiency testing offerings are expected each year?
FSIS anticipates at least 2 to 3 PT offerings per year for the FERN-wide distributions.
Who determines the design and timing of proficiency testing offerings?
The specific design and timing are to be agreed upon with the FERN Proficiency Testing Committee, indicating that coordination and alignment with FERN governance are expected.
What is the targeted Clostridium perfringens component?
The awardee will provide targeted Clostridium perfringens challenge sample sets to eight FERN laboratories to evaluate performance on a pathogen of concern using graded, realistic challenges.
What kinds of samples are included in the Clostridium perfringens challenge sets?
The opportunity specifies configurations that include a mix of uninoculated controls and inoculated samples with different contamination forms and levels, including vegetative cells and spores at both high and low levels.
How many laboratories will receive the Clostridium perfringens challenge sample sets?
Eight FERN laboratories are specified for this targeted challenge component.
Is there an additional workstream beyond the first two project areas?
Yes. The announcement describes a potential additional workstream related to thermally processed foods that may be supported by an additional possible funding source later in the agreement year.
What does the thermally processed foods workstream involve?
It involves 4 to 6 PT events annually where a series of 12 samples is sent to one USDA FSIS field laboratory.
How many samples are included per thermally processed foods PT event?
Each event involves a series of 12 samples.
Who receives the thermally processed foods samples?
The samples are sent to one USDA FSIS field laboratory.
What types of organisms may be included in the thermally processed foods samples?
Examples mentioned include Clostridium sporogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus, which are associated with inadequate thermal processing and are relevant to heat resistance and thermal processing controls.
Do the thermally processed foods events include any physical examination of packaging?
Yes. The samples may include packaged product samples from retort canning and tetrapak processing for physical examination of containers or packages for defects.
What is the funding amount for this opportunity?
Funding is structured as a one-year award cycle with up to $100,000 per year (award ceiling of $100,000).
Can this cooperative agreement be renewed?
Yes. The announcement indicates the agreement may be renewed annually for up to five years.
What determines whether continued funding is provided in later years?
Continued funding depends on agency appropriations and a review of the awardee's past performance.
Is there a limit on indirect costs?
Yes. Indirect costs are capped at 10 percent of the total award amount.
What does the indirect cost cap mean in practice?
It limits the portion of the budget that can be charged for overhead and similar indirect expenses to no more than 10 percent of the total award amount.
What type of grant instrument is used?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
It indicates FSIS is likely to have substantial involvement in guiding or coordinating the work, rather than providing funds with minimal engagement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity lists CFDA number 10.479.
Which agency is issuing this funding opportunity?
The issuing agency is USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
What is the opportunity number?
The original posting indicates an opportunity number of FSIS FERN 10292020.
What is the overall goal of the funded work?
The overall goal is to strengthen and evaluate FERN laboratory readiness by running structured proficiency testing to measure the ability of member labs to detect and analyze microbiological and chemical threat agents in foods.
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