Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM)
This grant helps state labs improve food safety testing for human and animal food through enhanced capabilities in microbiology, chemistry, and more.
Funder: Food and Drug Administration
Due Dates: March 31, 2025 (Application) | February 17, 2025 (Letter of Intent) | January 12, 2026 (Application) | December 15, 2025 (Letter of Intent) | January 11, 2027 (Application) | December 14, 2026 (Letter of Intent) | January 10, 2028 (Application) | December 13, 2027 (Letter of Intent)
Funding Amounts: Up to $1,500,000 total costs per award per year; project period up to 5 years; ~75 awards anticipated.
Summary: Supports state and local labs to enhance human and animal food safety testing capacity in microbiology, chemistry, and radiochemistry, including method development and food defense.
Key Information: Applicants must be ISO 17025 accredited (or equivalent) and have a valid FDA 20.88 agreement for most tracks; late applications are not accepted.
Description
This cooperative agreement aims to strengthen the capacity and capabilities of state and local human and animal food testing laboratories in support of an integrated food safety system (IFSS). Funding supports prioritized sample testing, food defense preparedness, method development, and capacity/capability development in the disciplines of microbiology, chemistry, and radiochemistry. The program is designed to help prevent foodborne illnesses, improve laboratory readiness for emergencies, and foster national coordination in food safety and defense.
The program is structured into multiple analytical tracks across three disciplines:
- Microbiology: Human/animal food product testing, NARMS, whole genome sequencing, food defense, method development, and capacity building.
- Chemistry: Human/animal food product testing, food defense, method development, and capacity building.
- Radiochemistry: Food defense, method development, and capacity building.
Applicants may apply for one or more tracks, with funding levels determined by the scope and type of work proposed.
