Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 25 024
A Research Study of Contaminants in School Meals (U18) (RFA FD 25 024) is an FDA-funded pilot project designed to support a broader, FDA-led effort to take a closer, evidence-based look at both the toxicological safety and the nutritional quality of meals served through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The core idea is to generate real-world data from participating schools about what students are being served and how changes in food service practices may affect exposure to contaminants and overall meal quality. The program is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect active involvement and coordination with the FDA rather than a hands-off grant arrangement.
The opportunity is specifically aimed at schools that actively participate in the NSLP, and eligibility includes public schools as well as nonprofit private schools, as long as they are NSLP participants. The funding can support participation at different scales: a single school can apply, multiple schools within a district can participate under one application, or an entire school district can apply if it participates in the NSLP. The program is not open to foreign organizations or non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations, and foreign components (as defined in NIH policy language referenced in the notice) are not permitted, keeping the work entirely domestic.
A major emphasis of the announcement is practical readiness. Applicants must be able to show they have the operational capacity to carry out food service changes during the 2025-2026 academic year. That includes being prepared to follow the study requirements around data collection and reporting described in the funding announcement. In other words, this is not simply a planning grant; schools are expected to be capable of implementing changes on an operational timeline and to document what they are doing in a way that supports a rigorous research effort.
The study also expects participating schools to engage in structured intervention activities and to work with a partner to support a transition away from foods commonly considered ultra-processed. While the announcement summary does not list the exact intervention steps, the intent is clear: schools will be asked to collaborate and make measurable adjustments to food service practices, likely involving procurement, menu planning, preparation methods, and product selection, while also supporting the collection of information needed to evaluate outcomes tied to contaminants and nutrition.
From a funding and competition standpoint, the FDA expects to make around 20 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $2,000,000 per award. The application deadline listed is July 7, 2025. The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition, and is associated with CFDA number 93.103. Overall, this is a targeted, implementation-focused pilot that pays for schools to participate in an FDA-coordinated research initiative, combining operational change (reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods) with disciplined monitoring and reporting to strengthen the evidence base on contaminants and meal quality in NSLP settings.Apply for RFA FD 25 024
- The Food and Drug Administration in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "A Research Study of Contaminants in School Meals (U18)" 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 2025-06-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-07-07. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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| Funding Opportunity |
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| Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Implementation Development and Maintenance, with Mutual Reliance Initiatives Clinical Trials Not Allowed Apply for PAR 25 003 Funding Number: PAR 25 003 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| Food Safety Capacity and Infrastructure Building (U2F) Apply for RFA FD 25 019 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 019 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Conformance with the Egg Regulatory Program Standards Apply for RFA FD 25 021 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 021 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $47,000 |
| Reissue of RFA-FD-22-001 - Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01 Clinical Trials Optional) Apply for RFA FD 25 017 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 017 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $600,000 |
| NARMS Cooperative Agreement Program to Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens Apply for PAR 25 014 Funding Number: PAR 25 014 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Reissue of RFA-FD-23-001- Clinical Studies of Orphan Products Addressing Unmet Needs of Rare Diseases (R01 Clinical Trials Required) Apply for RFA FD 25 020 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 020 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| Reducing Fraud and Lowering Barriers to the Production of Drugs in Shortage by Outsourcing Facilities Apply for RFA FD 25 023 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 023 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| FDA's Integrated Food Safety System Training Delivery and Development Apply for RFA FD 25 016 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 016 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Establishing the Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) Regulatory and Laboratory Training System (RLTS) National Coordination Center (NCC) and Learning Management System (LMS) Apply for RFA FD 25 005 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 005 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,750,000 |
| Applied Regulatory Science Research to Evaluate Cardiotoxicity of Oncology Therapeutics (U01) Clinical Trial Optional Apply for RFA FD 25 015 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 015 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Federal and State Integration Activities to Advance Cooperation and Regulatory Standards Among Animal Food Safety Regulatory Programs Apply for RFA FD 25 022 Funding Number: RFA FD 25 022 Agency: Food and Drug Administration Category: Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $600,000 |
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