NARMS Cooperative Agreement Program to Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens
This grant supports expanding and improving surveillance of antibiotic resistance in retail food through the NARMS program to protect public health.
Funder: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Due Dates: August 11, 2025 | April 1, 2026 | April 1, 2027
Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 per year for up to 5 years; anticipated total program funding is $5,000,000 with up to 35 awards
Summary: Supports enhanced surveillance and research on antibiotic resistance in retail food specimens as part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS).
Key Information: Clinical trials are not allowed; foreign organizations are not eligible.
Description
This cooperative agreement program by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine aims to strengthen, expand, and sustain antibiotic resistance surveillance in retail food specimens through the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS). The program funds new and existing sites to perform routine sampling and testing of retail food commodities, focusing on the detection of antibiotic resistance among bacteria in foods such as raw meats and seafood. The data generated will support public health interventions, regulatory actions, and inform policy development to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the food supply.
Key activities include:
- Collecting and processing retail food samples according to FDA protocols.
- Performing microbiological and molecular testing (including whole genome sequencing) on isolates.
- Integrating surveillance activities with FDA and exchanging data with public health agencies.
- Participating in NARMS working groups and adhering to standardized methodologies and data policies.
