National Integrated Food Safety Initiative

The purpose of the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative is to support competitive projects that address priority issues in food safety that are best solved using an integrated approach.

Integrated food safety programs in CSREES support multistate, multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, and multifunctional research, extension, and education activities. Special emphasis is given to research describing multifunctional activities (for example, research that contains research, education, and extension components).

• The research component of the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative focuses on applied food safety research.
• The education component focuses on education and training in a formal classroom setting, which may include elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate education.
• The extension component addresses education and training outside of the classroom. Where there is no extension program, outreach activities that deliver science-based and informational education to people in a variety of nonformal settings are appropriate.

The National Integrated Food Safety Initiative addresses, but is not limited to, the following priority issues in food safety:

• Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Assessments
• Control Measures for Foodborne Microbial Pathogens
• Sources and Incidence of Microbial Pathogens
• Antibiotic Resistant Microbial Pathogens
• Improving the Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• National Coordination of Integrated Food Safety Programs and Resources
• Food Handler Education and Training for Consumers and Youth
• Food Handler Education for High-risk and Hard-to-reach Audiences
• Food Handler Education for Commercial and Noncommercial Audiences, Including Food Handler Certification Training and Other Train-the-Trainer Programs
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Model Development, Testing, and Implementation
• Home Food Processing and Preservation
• Integrating Food Safety into Related Agricultural Programs
• Alternative Food Processing Technologies that Improve the Safety of Food
• Food Security

The National Integrated Food Safety Initiative is a component of the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program (IREECGP). The program is administered by CSREES under Title IV, Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) (7 U. S. C. 7626). The National Integrated Food Safety Initiative replaces the Food Safety and Quality National Education Initiative (FSQ) and the Special Research Grant for Food Safety. These programs were discontinued in Fiscal Year 2000.

Those eligible to apply for grants include faculty at all 4-year accredited colleges and universities. The Request for Application (RFA) is usually announced via the Web site and a national electronic distribution list in February or March of each year, and proposals are due 8 weeks following the release of the RFA. Awards are disseminated in September of each year.

For information on how to write an integrated food safety proposal check the Tip Sheet for Integrated Food Safety Proposals.

For additional information about the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative, contact Jan Singleton, national program leader, food science and food safety, or Margaret Venuto, program specialist, food science and food safety.

Resources

• Tip Sheet for Integrated Food Safety Proposals

National Integrated Food Safety Initiative - Funded Projects

• 2004 Competitive Projects
• 2003 Competitive Projects
• 2002 Competitive Projects
• 2001 Competitive Projects
• 2000 Competitive Projects

Food Safety Contacts

• State Contacts
• National Contacts

Requests for Application

See the Funding Opportunities section.