FDA Announces Grant Funding for Animal and Veterinary Innovation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is announcing the availability of fiscal year 2026 grant funding under a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the establishment of Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers (AVICs). AVICs are long-term partnerships intended to address critical animal, human, or environmental health needs in one or more priority areas for CVM.

CVM is currently accepting applications from public or private academic research institutions interested in developing AVICs. CVM encourages applications in FY2026 that forge partnerships, drive targeted research, and advance regulatory science in the following research areas:

1. Aquaculture: Address critical regulatory science gaps related to aquaculture drug development and/or conduct research designed to develop viable aquaculture drugs that address unmet needs and support U.S. aquaculture.

2. Minor Ruminant Species: Generate research designed to develop viable drugs for minor ruminant species (e.g., sheep, goats) to support the U.S. ruminant industry. 

3. Human Food Safety for Minor Species Drugs: Address regulatory science gaps using innovative approaches to human food safety requirements for minor species drug development and review.

4. Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship: Generate antimicrobial use research to help advance understanding of the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in veterinary medicine.

For FY 2026, CVM may initiate up to five grants. Amounts of available funding will follow a similar structure to what is outlined in the NOFO: PAR-24-251: Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers. Funding provided under this NOFO is renewable for up to four years contingent upon suitable progress and availability of funds.

On May 11, 2026, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm EDT, CVM will hold a virtual public technical session where interested parties can learn more about this funding opportunity and ask questions.

Technical Session Meeting Information

Meeting link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27558170689772?p=XGsKITlEjwpHlT4bDZExternal Link Disclaimer
Meeting ID 275 581 706 897 72 
Passcode: 4e3xC98U

For additional information and more detailed descriptions of CVM’s priorities for FY 2026 grant allocation, see: Animal and Veterinary Innovation Centers.

Applications for this grant must be submitted by June 12, 2026, through the NIH ASSIST system or www.grants.gov.