USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is offering up to $24.5 million in funds for projects that can 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), USDA reports.
USDA 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 U.S. and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions through advance planning and preparedness, USDA said. Projects selected for funding will be awarded in FY 2023.
NADPRP proposals must be submitted by 11:59 PM EDT on September 9, and NAHLN proposals must be submitted on October 1.
National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program
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. USDA says 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,” the release said.
APHIS will provide up to $17 million for this year’s NADPRP projects focused on advancing animal disease preparedness and response capabilities in eight priority topic areas developed through stakeholder consultation. The full list of topics are detailed in the funding opportunity announcement.
The funding opportunity announcement, including application instructions and additional information, is available on the NADPRP website. Applicants can also find information on the on the ezFedGrants website or the Grants.gov website by searching CFDA number 10.025 or Funding Opportunity Number USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-23-0002. APHIS is offering a webinar to assist eligible entities who are interested in applying for NADPRP funding:
Information for Applicants:
USDA APHIS 2022 NADPRP Funding Opportunity
Wednesday, June 29 at 2:00 PM EDT
To participate, join the conference from your computer at:
Join ZoomGov Meeting https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1603972567
In fall 2022, APHIS will provide an additional funding opportunity for tribal animal disease preparedness and response capabilities. APHIS also intends to allocate an additional $500,000 through the NADPRP program to support two nationally coordinated, APHIS-led projects to 1) enhance animal disease traceability at high-volume livestock commingling points such as ports of entry ($250,000) and 2) increase communications to NADPRP eligible entities about the value and impact of projects funded to date in the NADPRP program.
National Animal Health Laboratory Network
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, USDA explained in the release.
APHIS will make a total of $7.5 million available to NAHLN. This will include $5.25 million to be provided to the NAHLN laboratories in noncompetitive funding for operational support, USDA said. APHIS will provide up to $2.25 million in additional funds through a competitive process for those NAHLN projects benefiting the entire network focused on stockpile/capacity maintenance, IT standardization, high-capacity diagnostic equipment, and increasing technical personnel.
Application instructions and additional information are available on the NAHLN website or can be requested from the NAHLN program office NAHLN@usda.gov.
National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank
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, USDA said.
APHIS will invest an additional $30 million in NAVVCB purchases in FY 2022 and FY 2023, including FMD vaccine and diagnostic test kits. For the first time, APHIS will also purchase diagnostic test kits for the NAVVCB stockpile.
“While we are confident we can keep FMD out of the country as we have since 1929, having access to 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,” USDA said in the release.
Click here for more information about all these programs.
