Research, Education, and Outreach on Botanical Natural Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Human Foods Program, is offering a cooperative agreement funding opportunity titled Research, Education, and Outreach on Botanical Natural Products. This opportunity is structured as a U01 cooperative agreement, indicating substantial federal scientific and programmatic involvement throughout the award period. The initiative reflects FDA priorities to strengthen scientific understanding and regulatory oversight of botanical ingredients used in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics marketed in the United States. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support continued development and dissemination of research related to botanical natural products, with a strong emphasis on public safety. The program aims to assist in identifying and prioritizing botanical ingredients based on safety concerns, market trends, and scientific knowledge. It further seeks to support the acquisition, validation, and characterization of authenticated reference materials, including plant materials and purified compounds, which are critical for evaluating safety and chemical composition. The initiative also promotes collaboration between award recipients and FDA scientists, fostering exchange of analytical methods, technical information, and research findings. Funding under this program supports a broad range of activities including research projects, scientific workshops, training sessions, conferences, and partnerships across academia, industry, and international organizations. The cooperative agreement model ensures that FDA scientists will actively participate in shaping research directions, coordinating workshops, and contributing to the development of prioritized research agendas. The overarching goal is to enhance public health by improving the safety evaluation and understanding of botanical ingredients in consumer products. The award structure provides up to five years of support, beginning with an initial one year funded period followed by up to four additional years contingent upon performance and funding availability. The FDA intends to commit approximately 5.1 million dollars in the first year, with varying annual funding levels in subsequent years. Application budgets are not capped but must align with the proposed project’s scope and justified needs. No cost sharing or matching requirement is specified for this opportunity. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is highly restricted, as it is a single source award limited to The University of Mississippi. Foreign organizations and non domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. Applicants must comply with federal registration requirements including SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov, and must submit applications electronically following the detailed instructions outlined in the funding announcement and associated application guide. The application process requires strict adherence to FDA specific instructions, including completion of required forms, submission of detailed budgets for each project year, and inclusion of data management and sharing plans. Applications are evaluated based on criteria such as significance, investigator qualifications, innovation, approach, and research environment. The application deadline is August 21, 2026, with submissions required by 11:59 PM local time. No letter of intent is required, and late submissions are not accepted. The program does not follow NIH review criteria, instead applying FDA specific evaluation standards. Key contacts for the program include scientific and grants management officials within the FDA Human Foods Program and Office of Acquisitions and Grants Services. Awardees must comply with reporting requirements, including annual progress reports and final performance documentation. The program is not described as recurring and appears to be a targeted, single cycle funding opportunity designed to support a specific institutional partnership aligned with FDA research priorities.

Align research with FDA safety priorities; emphasize collaboration with FDA scientists; provide strong justification for methodology and innovation; ensure compliance with all application instructions