RFA-FD-25-007
Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM)
Summary
Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) — RFA-FD-25-007
Research Focus & Contribution
The Laboratory Flexible Funding Model is a cooperative agreement designed to strengthen state human and animal food testing laboratories' capacity to support an integrated food safety system (IFSS) aligned with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The program prioritizes sample testing and food defense preparedness across three analytical disciplines: microbiology, chemistry, and radiochemistry. Participating laboratories will conduct routine human and animal food product testing, whole genome sequencing (WGS), emergency response testing, and method development work to identify and address food safety hazards. The initiative generates large-scale sample data and trending information to enable risk-based, prevention-focused food safety surveillance at state and national levels, supporting early identification of emerging issues, outbreak investigation, and evaluation of future sampling priorities.
At-a-Glance
- Who can apply: State human and animal food testing laboratories (eligibility confirmed after Letter of Intent submission).
- Funding & project length: Not stated; cooperative agreement mechanism (U19).
- Award/mechanism: Research Program Cooperative Agreement (U19).
- Key dates: LOI due February 17, 2025 (and recurring annually); Application due March 31, 2025 by 11:59 PM ET; Scientific merit review April 2025; earliest start July 2025.
- Best fit for: State regulatory laboratories conducting microbiology, chemistry, or radiochemistry testing; applicants must commit to ISO 17025 accreditation (or equivalent quality system), proficiency testing, FERN membership, and participation in FDA-coordinated sample plans and emergency response activities.
Key Facts
Deadline
Tue, January 11, 2028
Posted
Thu, February 6, 2025
Award Range
— – $1,500,000
Expected Awards
75
Keywords
Research Areas
Gotchas (10)
Multiple application due dates across four cycles (March 2025, January 2026-2028) with strict no-late-submission policy and requirement for error-free submission by 11:59 PM ET
98%
Source Text
“Application Due Date(s): March 31, 2025 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time; January 12, 2026 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time; January 11, 2027 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time; January 10, 2028 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Late applications will not be accepted for this FOA. Applicants should be aware that on-time submission means that an application is submitted error free (of both Grants.gov and eRA Commons errors) by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the application due date.”
FDA does not follow NIH Page Limitation Guidelines or NIH Review Criteria; applicants must consult with FDA Agency Contacts for page limits and review process details
95%
Source Text
“The FDA does not follow the NIH Page Limitation Guidelines or the NIH Review Criteria. Applicants are encouraged to consult with FDA Agency Contacts for additional information regarding page limits and the FDA Objective Review Process.”
Samples collected under Product Testing Tracks must be state samples collected by state regulatory program inspectors/analysts; cannot be collected under FDA authority and FDA credentials/commissions
93%
Source Text
“Apart from FDA assignments and other FDA-directed samples (such as those collected by FDA or a 3rd party and submitted to a participating laboratory for analysis), the samples collected and analyzed under the LFFM Product Testing Tracks are state samples (collected by state regulatory program inspectors or laboratory analysts; and analyzed by state laboratories). These samples cannot be collected under FDA authority, and neither FDA credentials nor commissions can be used for collection activiti”
Laboratories must maintain ISO 17025 accreditation for product testing tracks, or alternative quality system for other tracks; this is a strict requirement that could disqualify applicants
95%
Source Text
“Laboratories participating in product testing tracks must maintain ISO 17025 accreditation. Laboratories participating solely in tracks other than product testing must either maintain ISO 17025 accreditation or a quality system that ensures quality assurance and quality control of laboratory testing including but not limited to: validated methods, document control, training programs, and analyst competency requirements.”
Applicants must follow Multi-Project (M) Instructions from How to Apply - Application Guide, but NOFO-specific instructions override general guidance where they differ
92%
Source Text
“It is critical that applicants follow the Multi-Project (M) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from the Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.”
Each regulatory program participating in LFFM must collect at least 15% of planned samples annually for which they have jurisdiction
90%
Source Text
“Each regulatory program participating in LFFM must collect at least 15% of planned samples for which they have jurisdiction, annually.”
Attendance of at least two key personnel (or one per discipline, whichever is greater) at annual LFFM Face-to-Face Meeting is required, with mandatory poster or oral presentation
91%
Source Text
“Attendance of at least two (2) key personnel, or one per discipline, whichever is greater, at an annual LFFM Face-to-Face Meeting. In addition to attendance, each grantee must present either a poster or an oral presentation.”
Applicants must maintain active FERN membership with annual verification and maintain valid 20.88 agreement with FDA as ongoing requirements
88%
Source Text
“Maintain active FERN membership, including annual membership verification. Maintain a valid 20.88 agreement with FDA.”
Laboratories must participate in and pass annual proficiency testing; if suitable test unavailable, must perform laboratory-developed competency exercises
89%
Source Text
“Participate in, and pass, an annual proficiency test offered through a suitable proficiency testing program, for any work performed under this project. If a suitable proficiency test is unavailable, then laboratory-developed competency exercises must be performed.”
Grantees must support pivot, overflow, emergency, surge capacity, and FDA-issued assignment requests as aligned with laboratory's analytical capabilities
82%
Source Text
“Support pivot, overflow, emergency, surge capacity, and FDA-issued assignment requests, as aligned with the laboratory's analytical capabilities.”