APHIS Announces Open Period for FY 2024 Funding Opportunities Supporting Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Activities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is continuing to advance animal disease preparedness and response through its Farm Bill animal health programs. APHIS is seeking project proposals for the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). The agency is also announcing its next round of purchases for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). The 2018 Farm Bill provided funding for these programs as part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering the United States and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions through advance planning and preparedness. Projects selected for funding will be awarded in FY 2024.

APHIS will make available up to $23.5 million in funds for NADPRP and NAHLN. NADPRP proposals must be submitted by October 20, 2023, and NAHLN proposals must be submitted by October 27, 2023.

NADPRP
NADPRP addresses the risk of introduction and spread of high-consequence animal pests and diseases through cooperative or interagency agreements between APHIS and States, universities, livestock producer organizations, Tribal organizations, land-grant universities, and other eligible entities. This program enhances APHIS’ animal health efforts through collaboration with animal health partners throughout the nation. Together, APHIS and its partners carry out high-value projects that enhance prevention, preparedness, detection, and response to the most damaging emerging and foreign animal diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture.

APHIS invites stakeholders to submit proposals for the FY 2024 NADPRP funding opportunity. The open period for submitting proposals runs from July 27, 2023 to October 20, 2023. APHIS will provide up to $17 million for this year’s NADPRP projects focused on advancing animal disease preparedness and response capabilities in nine priority topic areas developed through stakeholder consultation. The topics are detailed in the funding opportunity announcement.

Those interested in submitting proposals should visit the APHIS NADPRP website for resources and guidance, including the funding opportunity announcement, application instructions, frequently asked questions, templates, help session webinar information, and more. Applicants can also find information on the ezFedGrants website or the Grants.gov website by searching CFDA number 10.025 or Funding Opportunity Number USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-24-0001. APHIS is offering a webinar to assist eligible entities who are interested in applying for NADPRP funding:

• Information for Applicants: 2024 NADPRP Funding Opportunity 
  Tuesday, August 15 at 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
  To participate, join the conference from your computer at: Join ZoomGov Meeting 
  https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1609625899
  Meeting ID: 160 962 5899 
  Meeting Passcode: 731230
  Phone number for Audio Only +1 669 254 5252 US or +1 646 828 7666 US (New York)

In fall 2023, APHIS will provide an additional $500,000 in the NADPRP Tribal funding opportunity to enhance Tribal animal disease preparedness and response capabilities. We will announce more information about this opportunity in the coming months.

NAHLN
The NAHLN is a nationally coordinated network and partnership of Federal, State, and university-associated animal health laboratories providing animal health diagnostic testing to detect both foreign and endemic high-consequence pathogens in the nation’s food animals, which is vital to protecting animal health, public health, and the nation's food supply. Should foreign animal disease strike, these laboratories are the first line of defense in swiftly diagnosing and detecting the extent of the outbreak to limit the impact on producers.

APHIS will make a total of $6 million available to support NAHLN cooperative projects in FY 2024. This will include $5 million in noncompetitive funding for operational support for NAHLN laboratories. APHIS will provide up to $1 million in additional funds through a competitive process for NAHLN projects focused on improving capacity and work-flow efficiency in the laboratory. Specific priorities include receiving/accessioning, laboratory equipment, technical expertise, and data management.

APHIS invites interested NAHLN stakeholders to submit proposals for the FY 2024 NAHLN competitive funding opportunity. Application instructions and additional information are available on the NAHLN website or can be requested from the NAHLN program office NAHLN@usda.gov.

NAVVCB
The NAVVCB allows APHIS to stockpile animal vaccines and other related products, serving as an effective insurance policy in the extremely rare chance of an outbreak of certain high-consequence foreign animal diseases, like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus. APHIS has invested more than $70 million in the NAVVCB from FY 2020 through FY 2023 and will invest an additional $6 million in NAVVCB purchases in FY 2024 including FMD vaccine and diagnostic test kits. While we are confident we can keep FMD out of the country as we have since 1929, having access to a vaccine would be a critical tool to stop the spread of disease, allowing America’s farmers and ranchers to get back on their feet more quickly. This purchase will make more doses available should they be needed.

More information about all these programs is available at:  https://www.aphis.usda.gov/laws-regs/farm-bill