Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 063
The CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program (U18) Clinical Trials grant opportunity (PAR 22-063) is a cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring qualified veterinary diagnostic laboratories into the FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN). The central goal is to expand and strengthen U.S. laboratory capacity to detect, investigate, and respond to potential animal foodborne illness events, consistent with the domestic capacity-building priorities laid out in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Rather than funding isolated projects, this program is designed to build a coordinated national network of laboratories that can quickly generate reliable testing data during real-world investigations involving animal food or animal drug contamination, adulteration, or related safety concerns.
Because this is a cooperative agreement, awardees should expect substantial involvement and collaboration with the FDA and other network partners. The work emphasizes building consistent, network-wide capabilities that support the national food safety system. Priority activities include improving coordination among veterinary diagnostic laboratories, strengthening workforce and technical readiness through training, and establishing durable quality assurance systems. The program also supports proficiency testing and performance evaluations so that participating labs can demonstrate consistent competency, and it promotes data sharing practices that improve national situational awareness and collective response capacity during outbreaks or contamination events.
A major theme of the opportunity is harmonization. The FDA aims to align analytical methods and, where feasible, standardize equipment platforms across participating laboratories so results are comparable across the network and can be used confidently during multi-jurisdictional investigations. Alongside technical harmonization, the FOA places strong emphasis on laboratory quality systems and accreditation readiness. Applicants are encouraged to use grant support to pursue or strengthen recognized accreditations such as AAVLD accreditation and/or ISO/IEC 17025, or to implement a quality system that is comparable to international standards. This focus reflects the program's intent to ensure that network testing is defensible, reproducible, and suitable for use in high-stakes regulatory and public health contexts.
In practical terms, funded laboratories are expected to be capable of generating and reporting testing results during case investigations involving suspected adulteration or contamination of animal food or animal drugs. The network structure is meant to improve the speed, consistency, and reliability of laboratory findings when animal illness clusters or other warning signals suggest a potential food safety incident. By investing in training, QA/QC, proficiency assessment, method alignment, and accreditation, the FDA is using this program to create a scalable, national laboratory backbone that can support outbreak response and preventive food safety goals.
Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and other Native American tribal organizations. The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition (CFDA 93.103). The award ceiling is listed as $150,000, with an anticipated number of awards around 50. The original application closing date for the listed cycle was February 9, 2024, and the FOA record indicates an initial creation date of January 1, 2022.Apply for PAR 22 063
- The Food and Drug Administration in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program (U18) Clinical Trials" 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 2022-01-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-09. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program (U18) Clinical Trials opportunity (PAR 22-063)?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring qualified veterinary diagnostic laboratories into the FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN). The program is structured to build and strengthen a coordinated national network of labs that can support real-world investigations involving animal food or animal drug safety concerns.
Who is offering this grant?
The grant is offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), as part of the Vet-LIRN network effort.
What is Vet-LIRN?
Vet-LIRN is the FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network. It is designed to improve the nation's ability to detect, investigate, and respond to potential animal foodborne illness events and related safety issues by using a connected group of capable veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
What is the main goal of this program?
The central goal is to expand and strengthen U.S. laboratory capacity to detect, investigate, and respond to potential animal foodborne illness events. The program aligns with domestic capacity-building priorities described in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
How is this program different from a typical research project grant?
Rather than funding isolated projects, this program is designed to build consistent, network-wide capabilities across participating laboratories. The intent is to create a coordinated national laboratory backbone that can generate reliable testing data during investigations that may involve contamination, adulteration, or other safety concerns.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, awardees should expect substantial involvement and collaboration with the FDA and other network partners. The work is focused on shared network goals, with emphasis on coordination and harmonization across laboratories rather than independent, stand-alone activities.
What kinds of events or investigations is the network meant to support?
The network is meant to support investigations involving suspected adulteration or contamination of animal food or animal drugs, including situations where animal illness clusters or other warning signals suggest a potential food safety incident.
What are the priority activities under this opportunity?
Priority activities include improving coordination among veterinary diagnostic laboratories, strengthening workforce and technical readiness through training, establishing durable quality assurance systems, supporting proficiency testing and performance evaluations, and promoting data sharing practices that improve national situational awareness and response capacity.
What is meant by "harmonization" in this program?
Harmonization refers to aligning analytical methods and, where feasible, standardizing equipment platforms across participating laboratories so that results are comparable across the network. This helps ensure test results can be used confidently during multi-jurisdictional investigations.
Does the program emphasize laboratory quality systems and accreditation?
Yes. The opportunity places strong emphasis on laboratory quality systems and accreditation readiness to ensure testing is defensible, reproducible, and suitable for high-stakes regulatory and public health contexts.
Which accreditations are mentioned as relevant to this program?
The information provided encourages applicants to pursue or strengthen recognized accreditations such as AAVLD accreditation and/or ISO/IEC 17025, or to implement a quality system comparable to international standards.
How does proficiency testing fit into the program?
The program supports proficiency testing and performance evaluations so participating laboratories can demonstrate consistent competency. This helps build trust in the reliability and comparability of results across the network.
What is the role of data sharing in this opportunity?
Data sharing is promoted to improve national situational awareness and strengthen collective response capacity during outbreaks or contamination events. The goal is to support coordinated action using consistent, reliable laboratory findings.
What capabilities are funded laboratories expected to have?
Funded laboratories are expected to be capable of generating and reporting testing results during case investigations involving suspected adulteration or contamination of animal food or animal drugs, consistent with network needs during real-world events.
How does this program relate to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)?
The program is consistent with FSMA domestic capacity-building priorities by strengthening national laboratory capabilities that support prevention, detection, and response related to animal food safety incidents.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; and other Native American tribal organizations.
What is the program category or assistance listing information provided?
The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition, and it is listed under CFDA 93.103.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $150,000.
How many awards are anticipated?
The anticipated number of awards is around 50.
What was the application closing date for the listed cycle?
The original application closing date for the listed cycle was February 9, 2024.
When was this FOA record initially created?
The FOA record indicates an initial creation date of January 1, 2022.
Is this opportunity focused on animal food, animal drugs, or both?
Based on the provided information, the network supports investigations involving both animal food and animal drugs, especially where contamination, adulteration, or related safety concerns may be involved.
What is the overall expected impact of funding labs through this program?
The expected impact is a scalable, coordinated national laboratory network that improves the speed, consistency, and reliability of testing and reporting during outbreaks or contamination investigations, strengthening the broader national food safety system.
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