Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 OA000000 26 0001
The New World Screwworm Grand Challenge is a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) discretionary funding opportunity designed to accelerate the United States response to the growing threat of New World screwworm (NWS) and to help prevent the parasite from spreading northward. The program is framed as part of USDA's broader 2025 plan to protect the country from NWS and is meant to fund both near-term, fast-impact projects that can strengthen rapid response while sterile insect capacity is still ramping up, and longer-term investments that expand national preparedness and control options for the future. In total, APHIS is making up to $100 million available through this Grand Challenge to support practical tools, technologies, and approaches that can improve readiness and containment, with an emphasis on innovations that may also translate to other animal disease response efforts.
A central driver behind the Grand Challenge is the scale-up of sterile insect production, which remains a cornerstone of NWS control strategy. APHIS notes it is already moving forward with additional sterile insect production facilities, with a stated target of full capacity reaching 300 million sterile flies per week by March 2029. Because that capacity is still several years away, APHIS is explicitly looking for projects that can fill the gap in the interim by boosting control capabilities sooner, while also funding durable solutions that keep paying off after expanded production comes online. The opportunity is structured as cooperative agreements, signaling that APHIS expects active involvement and coordination between the agency and awardees rather than a hands-off grant relationship.
Projects must align with one of four funding priority topics. Topic 1 focuses on enhancing sterile NWS fly production, which could include improvements that increase output, reliability, efficiency, quality, scalability, or speed of production and distribution. Topic 2 supports the development of novel NWS traps and lures, aiming to improve detection, monitoring, and potentially localized suppression through better attractants, trap designs, or deployment methods. Topic 3 targets therapeutics or treatments for animals, meaning products or interventions that could treat, prevent, or control NWS infestations in livestock or other animals, with a particular emphasis on options that could be stockpiled and used quickly if NWS reaches the United States. Topic 4 is a broader category intended to capture other tools that bolster preparedness or response, which could include surveillance technologies, diagnostics, operational planning tools, field-deployable systems, or other innovations that strengthen the overall response framework.
Funding is expected to support roughly 20 awards. Individual awards are generally not anticipated to exceed $5 million, but APHIS leaves room to go above that ceiling when a proposal meaningfully contributes to preventing NWS spread, addresses multiple priority topics, or can demonstrate a strong ability to rapidly improve animal health outcomes and/or delay the parasite's advance. APHIS also indicates it may offer partial awards below the requested amount; applicants can accept or decline, but if they accept, they should expect to revise their application to align with the reduced budget and address reviewer concerns. The program is time-bounded and designed for execution rather than long exploratory research, with project work expected to begin in the May 1 to June 1, 2026 window and conclude no later than two years after the start date unless APHIS approves an extension in writing. Pre-award costs are not allowed, so applicants should plan for a clean start at the award date rather than back-charging earlier work.
Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations), for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and other eligible entities as described in the notice. Applicants must have an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) registered in SAM.gov, and proposals must clearly address at least one of the four priority topics. The application is subject to an initial screening process, and APHIS is explicit that incomplete packages or missing required forms will be deemed ineligible and will not advance to full review. Submission pathways depend on applicant type: non-federal applicants must submit through ezFedGrants, while federal applicants submit via email to NWS.Grand.Challenge@usda.gov. The deadline is firm: applications must be received by February 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, and late submissions will not be considered. For administrative or technical questions, APHIS directs applicants to the Grand Challenge webpage materials or the program email address listed above.Apply for USDA APHIS 10025 OA000000 26 0001
- The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New World Screwworm Grand Challenge" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.025.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-02-23. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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