Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA FD 26 011
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is offering a single-source cooperative agreement titled "Research, Education, and Outreach on Botanical Natural Products" (Funding Opportunity Number: RFA FD 26 011). This opportunity sits in the Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition activity area (CFDA 93.103) and is designed to continue and strengthen federal work on botanical ingredients that show up in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics sold in the United States. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the FDA expects to be actively involved in the work through ongoing scientific and technical collaboration rather than acting only as a passive funder.
At its core, the grant is meant to support a coordinated program that helps the FDA better evaluate botanical natural products from a public health and safety perspective. One major objective is to help identify and maintain a prioritized list of botanical ingredients based on real-world safety concerns, market trends, and the evolving body of knowledge about which botanical ingredients are being used and how. This includes paying attention to what is being marketed to consumers, where the most significant uncertainties or risks may be, and which ingredients warrant closer scrutiny based on emerging evidence or patterns of use.
A second key focus is building and improving the reference materials needed for credible scientific evaluation. The work involves acquiring, validating, and characterizing authenticated reference materials, which can include raw plant material, processed plant material, and purified natural products. These materials are meant to be directly relevant to FDA needs, particularly in supporting safety evaluation and the development or verification of analytical methods. Having authenticated, well-characterized reference materials is important because botanical products can vary widely depending on species identity, growing conditions, processing, and potential adulteration, and FDA assessments depend on being able to compare samples and measurements against reliable standards.
The opportunity also emphasizes information-sharing and collaboration. Recipients are expected to exchange technical and scientific information, methods, and reference materials with FDA scientists and other stakeholders. In practical terms, this is about creating a strong two-way pipeline where laboratory approaches, best practices, and validated materials can move between the awardee and the FDA to improve consistency, reproducibility, and speed in evaluating botanical ingredients. The grant further calls for direct collaboration with FDA scientists on research topics of mutual interest, reinforcing that this is not simply an academic research award but a program aligned with FDA mission needs and shaped by ongoing coordination.
Beyond research and materials development, the program includes a significant education and outreach component. The award supports coordinating scientific workshops, trainings, and conferences focused on botanical topics with public health relevance. These events are meant to address high-priority scientific and research needs, build shared understanding across government, academia, and other communities, and help disseminate up-to-date methods and findings that can improve the broader ecosystem of botanical quality and safety evaluation.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity with an award ceiling of $5,100,000 and an expectation of a single award. The original application closing date is August 21, 2026, and the opportunity was created on July 22, 2026. Eligibility is restricted: only the University of Mississippi is eligible to apply under this single-source announcement. The overall intent is to maintain and leverage a specialized capacity for botanical natural products research, reference material authentication, and convening power in a way that directly supports FDA regulatory science and public health priorities.Apply for RFA FD 26 011
- The Food and Drug Administration in the agriculture, consumer protection, food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research, Education, and Outreach on Botanical Natural Products" 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 2026-07-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-21. (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 $5,100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The title is "Research, Education, and Outreach on Botanical Natural Products."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA FD 26 011.
Which federal agency is offering this grant?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What type of award is being offered?
This is a cooperative agreement. That structure generally indicates the FDA expects to be actively involved through ongoing scientific and technical collaboration, rather than serving only as a passive funder.
Is this a competitive opportunity?
It is described as a single-source cooperative agreement with an expectation of a single award, and eligibility is restricted to one applicant (the University of Mississippi).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is restricted to the University of Mississippi under this single-source announcement.
How many awards does the FDA expect to make?
The FDA expects to make a single award.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $5,100,000.
When is the application due?
The original application closing date is August 21, 2026.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on July 22, 2026.
What is the activity area and CFDA number?
The activity area is Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Food and Nutrition, and the CFDA number listed is 93.103.
What is the overall purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The program is intended to continue and strengthen federal work related to botanical ingredients that appear in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics sold in the United States, with the goal of improving FDA evaluation of botanical natural products from a public health and safety perspective.
What kinds of products are in scope for this work?
The scope includes botanical ingredients found in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics marketed in the United States.
What does the program aim to help the FDA do, from a safety perspective?
A core aim is to support a coordinated program that helps the FDA better evaluate botanical natural products for public health and safety, using real-world signals such as safety concerns, market trends, and evolving knowledge about usage and exposure.
Is there an objective related to prioritizing botanical ingredients?
Yes. One major objective is to help identify and maintain a prioritized list of botanical ingredients based on real-world safety concerns, market trends, and the evolving body of knowledge about which botanical ingredients are being used and how.
What factors can influence how botanical ingredients are prioritized?
Based on the description, prioritization considers what is being marketed to consumers, where significant uncertainties or risks may exist, and which ingredients warrant closer scrutiny due to emerging evidence or patterns of use.
What are "authenticated reference materials" in the context of this opportunity?
They are acquired, validated, and characterized materials used for credible scientific evaluation. The opportunity specifies they can include raw plant material, processed plant material, and purified natural products.
Why are authenticated reference materials important for botanical evaluation?
Botanical products can vary substantially due to species identity, growing conditions, processing, and potential adulteration. Authenticated, well-characterized reference materials help enable reliable comparisons and support credible safety evaluation and analytical method work.
What is the intended use of reference materials produced or curated under this program?
The materials are intended to be directly relevant to FDA needs, particularly for supporting safety evaluation and the development or verification of analytical methods.
Does the program involve sharing methods and materials with the FDA?
Yes. Recipients are expected to exchange technical and scientific information, methods, and reference materials with FDA scientists and other stakeholders.
What does collaboration with FDA scientists look like under this cooperative agreement?
The opportunity calls for direct collaboration with FDA scientists on research topics of mutual interest, emphasizing ongoing coordination and two-way sharing of laboratory approaches, best practices, validated methods, and materials.
Is this opportunity focused only on academic research?
No. While research is part of the effort, the description emphasizes that the program is aligned with FDA mission needs, includes materials development and information-sharing, and is shaped by ongoing coordination with FDA scientists.
Is there an education and outreach component?
Yes. The program includes coordinating scientific workshops, trainings, and conferences focused on botanical topics with public health relevance.
What are the goals of the workshops, trainings, and conferences?
They are intended to address high-priority scientific and research needs, build shared understanding across government, academia, and other communities, and disseminate up-to-date methods and findings that improve botanical quality and safety evaluation.
What is meant by "information-sharing and collaboration" with other stakeholders?
The description indicates a two-way pipeline for sharing technical and scientific information, methods, and reference materials among the awardee, FDA scientists, and other stakeholders to improve consistency, reproducibility, and speed of botanical ingredient evaluation.
Why does the FDA describe this as maintaining and leveraging specialized capacity?
The intent is to maintain and leverage specialized capability for botanical natural products research, reference material authentication/characterization, and convening power (for workshops and related events) in a way that directly supports FDA regulatory science and public health priorities.
What makes this a "discretionary" funding opportunity?
It is identified administratively as a discretionary funding opportunity; no additional discretionary criteria are provided in the description beyond the stated purpose, structure, and eligibility limitations.
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