FDA Drug Residue Prevention Program (U18) | RFA FD 18 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 18 006

The FDA Drug Residue Prevention Program (U18) is a cooperative agreement funding opportunity from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (within the Department of Health and Human Services) designed to strengthen and expand state-level efforts to prevent illegal drug residues in foods derived from animals. The central goal is consumer protection: helping states build or improve drug residue prevention programs so that meat, milk, eggs, and other edible products from food animals are less likely to contain unsafe or unlawful drug residues. Rather than focusing primarily on enforcement alone, the program emphasizes prevention by improving the foundations of state programs and ensuring they have the tools, strategies, and reach needed to reduce repeat violations and protect the food supply.

A key theme of the opportunity is capacity-building for state agencies that need a stronger program base. The FDA recognizes that some states may have residue prevention efforts in place but lack sufficient structure, resources, or consistent outreach to reliably influence producer and industry behavior. Through this program, funded states are expected to develop or enhance practical, on-the-ground prevention activities that directly address why residue violations happen in the first place, such as improper drug use, inadequate treatment records, failure to follow withdrawal times, misunderstanding of extra-label use requirements, or weak herd/flock management practices. The intended outcome is not simply more activity, but better-directed programs that can demonstrably reduce the incidence and consequences of illegal residues in animal-derived foods.

Because this is a cooperative agreement (rather than a standard grant), the FDA typically anticipates a more active partnership with award recipients. In cooperative agreements, the agency generally has substantial involvement in the project, which often means coordinated planning, shared expectations around deliverables, and alignment with federal residue prevention priorities. The program is framed as a Cooperative Agreement Program (CAP), signaling that awardees will likely work closely with FDA counterparts to shape outreach approaches, training content, and assessment strategies so efforts are consistent with national food safety goals and can be scaled or replicated.

The funded work is centered on outreach, education, and training. In practice, this means states are expected to create or expand educational efforts aimed at the groups most able to prevent residues: livestock producers, dairy operators, veterinarians, farm workers, animal owners, and others involved in prescribing, administering, or managing animal drugs. Training may include proper drug labeling and administration, recordkeeping, veterinary-client-patient relationship expectations, residue avoidance steps, and management practices that reduce the risk of treated animals entering the food supply too soon. The overall approach is meant to be practical and preventive, equipping stakeholders with clear guidance and reinforcing best practices that can be implemented in day-to-day operations.

In addition to broad education, the program also calls for targeted, on-site assessments related to drug residue violations. These site visits are aimed at situations where violations have occurred or where risk appears elevated, allowing state programs to assess contributing factors and provide tailored technical assistance. Alongside assessments, grantees are expected to conduct best-practice visits to industry and individuals, using direct engagement to communicate proper drug use and promote effective management systems that prevent residues. This combination of targeted follow-up and proactive best-practice sharing is intended to reduce repeat problems, improve compliance behaviors, and spread workable models across producers and regions.

The opportunity is limited to state governments as eligible applicants, reflecting the program's purpose of strengthening state-run residue prevention infrastructure. It is identified under CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 93.103 and falls within the broader public purpose areas of consumer protection, food and nutrition, and health. The funding opportunity number is RFA-FD-18-006, with an original application closing date of May 16, 2018, and a creation date of March 15, 2018. The anticipated scale of the program includes up to 9 expected awards, with an award ceiling of $175,000 per award, indicating modest but targeted funding intended to support specific capacity-building and field-based prevention activities rather than large-scale infrastructure projects.

Overall, the FDA Drug Residue Prevention Program (U18) is designed to help state agencies sharpen their focus on residue prevention by investing in education-driven interventions, hands-on assessments, and direct engagement with animal agriculture stakeholders. By improving program foundations and emphasizing practical training and site-level problem solving, the program aims to reduce illegal drug residues in animal-derived foods and strengthen the protective measures that keep consumers safer.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration in the consumer protection, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FDA Drug Residue Prevention Program (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 Mar 15, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 16, 2018. (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 $175,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for RFA FD 18 006

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