FSIS FERN Cooperative Agreement Program

The Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) currently comprises federal, state, and local government regulatory laboratories with varying capacities to perform threat agent testing. The Contaminants and Threat Agents Group (CTAG) within the Laboratory Quality Assurance, Response and Coordination Staff (LQARCS) in USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is seeking to award new cooperative agreements thereby continuing its program of providing surge capacity and capability for food defense and food safety testing to FSIS. The agreements enhance the ability to analyze meat, poultry, and meat and egg products for microbiological, chemical, and radiological agents utilizing approved FERN methods to improve laboratory capacities for food defense initiatives, outbreak response, and other food testing projects. The agreements support the FERN program testing initiatives, method proficiency training, method-required supply and equipment purchases, and reimbursement of personnel expenses. All cooperative agreements are awarded yearly and part of a 5-year cycle. This announcement will constitute the 1st year of a 5-year cycle. Yearly awards are contingent upon continued Agency funding and a review of each laboratory participant’s past performance where possible.  

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