Opportunity Information: Apply for 7200AA21RFA00011
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC) is a USAID funding opportunity focused on applied agricultural research that helps protect major food security crops from biotic threats such as pests, weeds, and plant diseases. The purpose is not just to generate research findings, but to translate those findings into real-world solutions that reduce crop losses for the people who are most vulnerable to food insecurity, especially smallholder farmers who depend on staple crops for both income and nutrition. The opportunity is positioned within USAID's Feed the Future initiative and is meant to function as a technical and partnership hub that can support multiple country contexts where crop threats are limiting national food systems.
This opportunity was released as a full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) after a draft program description was shared in December 2020, signaling that USAID had already begun shaping the concept and inviting early engagement before the final competition. The application deadline was May 11, 2021. Prospective applicants were directed to submit questions by March 25, 2021 at 4:00 pm Washington, D.C. time, with questions going to Leah Leach at lleach@usaid.gov. The funding opportunity number is 7200AA21RFA00011, and the award instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means that USAID expects to remain actively involved during implementation rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. The total possible funding ceiling listed is $39,000,000, indicating a large-scale, multi-year program designed to support a broad research portfolio and substantial partnership and capacity-building activity.
At its core, the CETC Innovation Lab is expected to design, lead, and implement an applied research program aimed at controlling both current and emerging biotic threats. "Current" threats reflect persistent problems already affecting crops in many regions, while "emerging" threats point to issues that may be spreading to new geographies, intensifying because of climate and ecological shifts, or developing resistance to existing control methods. The emphasis on biotic threats places the program squarely in areas like integrated pest management, plant pathology, weed science, diagnostics and surveillance, resistance management, and systems that help farmers and institutions detect and respond to outbreaks faster. Because these threats often move quickly across borders and can escalate into regional crises, the Innovation Lab concept is designed to be responsive and relevant to real-time development needs rather than purely academic research.
A central feature of the opportunity is capacity development for local research partners. USAID signals that strong outcomes depend on strengthening national and local institutions, not simply delivering technical packages. In practice, that means the Innovation Lab is expected to invest in training, joint research, mentoring, infrastructure strengthening where appropriate, and long-term institutional partnerships that help national researchers, extension systems, and decision-makers build the ability to identify threats, test solutions, and scale effective practices. The intended beneficiaries extend beyond researchers to include smallholder farmers and other recipients of USAID assistance, reflecting USAID's broader development goal of improving livelihoods, resilience, and food security.
The CETC Innovation Lab is also framed as a resource for USAID Missions and their implementing partners. Missions often manage country-level strategies and fund on-the-ground projects, and they need credible, practical technical support when pests, diseases, or invasive weeds undermine production gains. This Innovation Lab is expected to help Missions overcome critical constraints within national food systems, including diagnosing problems, evaluating management options, and connecting research outputs to implementation channels. The program is therefore expected to operate at the intersection of research and development, where scientific work is deliberately aligned with the needs and timelines of programs operating in the field.
Another key expectation is that the Innovation Lab will help recognize, build on, and influence "impact pathways" that connect crop protection research to measurable development outcomes. In plain terms, USAID is emphasizing that good science is not enough by itself; the Innovation Lab should actively design partnerships and delivery mechanisms so that research results move into policy, private-sector products and services, community-based interventions, extension messages, and other channels that farmers actually use. The NOFO highlights collaboration with USAID Mission-supported programs, national partners, private companies, community-based organizations, and other donors. This signals a strong preference for a networked model where research is co-developed and co-owned, and where scaling and sustainability are considered from the start rather than treated as an afterthought.
In terms of eligibility and positioning, the opportunity references Title XII U.S. Universities, a category tied to USAID's longstanding engagement with U.S. higher education institutions in international agricultural development. While the eligibility field is listed as "Others," the explicit mention of Title XII indicates that U.S. universities with relevant expertise and global partnerships are a central target audience for leading the Innovation Lab, often through consortium-style arrangements that bring together multiple institutions and international collaborators. The activity categories listed for the award include Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development, underscoring that this is a research-driven award with clear development objectives.
Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to fund a major applied research platform that tackles pest, weed, and disease pressures threatening key food crops, while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of partner-country institutions and improving the ability of USAID Missions to respond to crop threat challenges. The scale of the funding ceiling, the cooperative agreement structure, and the strong emphasis on partnerships and impact pathways all point to a program intended to produce practical tools, strategies, and institutional capabilities that can reduce crop losses and protect food security over the long term.Apply for 7200AA21RFA00011
- The Agency for International Development in the agriculture, food and nutrition, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-17.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-11. (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 $39,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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FAQs: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC)
What is the CETC Innovation Lab funding opportunity?
The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC) is a USAID funding opportunity to support applied agricultural research focused on protecting major food security crops from biotic threats such as pests, weeds, and plant diseases. The intent is to generate practical, usable solutions that reduce crop losses and strengthen food security, particularly for people most vulnerable to food insecurity, including smallholder farmers who rely on staple crops for income and nutrition.
Which USAID initiative is this opportunity part of?
This opportunity sits within USAID's Feed the Future initiative and is positioned as a technical and partnership hub that can support multiple country contexts where crop threats constrain national food systems.
What kinds of threats does CETC focus on?
The CETC Innovation Lab focuses on biotic threats to crops, including pests, weeds, and plant diseases. It targets both "current" threats (persistent, ongoing constraints) and "emerging" threats (new or spreading issues, threats intensified by climate and ecological shifts, or problems developing resistance to existing control methods).
What does USAID mean by "current" and "emerging" threats?
"Current" threats are long-standing or widely present crop protection problems already affecting production in many regions. "Emerging" threats include issues spreading into new geographies, increasing in severity due to changing climate/ecology, or becoming harder to control because of resistance to existing management approaches.
Is this opportunity focused on basic research or applied research?
The opportunity emphasizes applied research. USAID is not only seeking research findings, but expects those findings to be translated into real-world solutions that can be used by farmers, institutions, and development programs to reduce crop losses.
What types of technical areas are relevant to the CETC Innovation Lab?
Based on the description, relevant areas include integrated pest management, plant pathology, weed science, diagnostics and surveillance, resistance management, and systems that help farmers and institutions detect and respond to outbreaks more quickly.
What is the overall purpose of the CETC Innovation Lab beyond producing research results?
USAID expects the Innovation Lab to connect science to development outcomes by translating research into practical tools, strategies, and delivery mechanisms. The program is meant to reduce crop losses, protect food security crops, and strengthen the ability of partners and USAID Missions to respond to crop threat challenges.
Who are the intended beneficiaries of this program?
Intended beneficiaries include smallholder farmers and other recipients of USAID assistance. The program also aims to benefit national and local institutions (research organizations, extension systems, and decision-makers) by strengthening their capacity to identify threats, test solutions, and scale effective practices.
How is capacity development expected to be addressed?
Capacity development is a central feature. The Innovation Lab is expected to strengthen national and local institutions through activities such as training, joint research, mentoring, and infrastructure strengthening where appropriate, along with long-term institutional partnerships that build durable local capability.
How does the Innovation Lab relate to USAID Missions and implementing partners?
The Innovation Lab is framed as a resource for USAID Missions and their implementing partners. It is expected to provide credible, practical technical support when pests, diseases, or invasive weeds undermine production gains, including diagnosing problems, evaluating management options, and linking research outputs to implementation channels.
What are "impact pathways" in the context of this NOFO?
"Impact pathways" refer to the planned routes that connect crop protection research to measurable development outcomes. USAID is emphasizing that research should be designed with scaling and uptake in mind so results move into the channels farmers and institutions actually use, such as policy, private-sector products and services, community-based interventions, and extension messages.
What kinds of partnerships does USAID expect under CETC?
The NOFO highlights collaboration with USAID Mission-supported programs, national partners, private companies, community-based organizations, and other donors. This signals an expectation for a networked model where research is co-developed and co-owned and where scaling and sustainability are considered from the start.
What is the award instrument for this opportunity?
The award instrument is a Cooperative Agreement. This typically indicates that USAID expects to remain actively involved during implementation rather than only providing funds with minimal engagement.
What is the total funding ceiling stated for this opportunity?
The total possible funding ceiling listed is $39,000,000, indicating a large-scale program intended to support a broad applied research portfolio and substantial partnership and capacity-building activity.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is 7200AA21RFA00011.
When was the application deadline?
The application deadline was May 11, 2021.
Was there an earlier draft version of the program description?
Yes. The opportunity was released as a full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) after a draft program description was shared in December 2020, suggesting USAID had already begun shaping the concept and inviting early engagement before the final competition.
When were questions due, and where were they submitted?
Prospective applicants were directed to submit questions by March 25, 2021 at 4:00 pm Washington, D.C. time. Questions were to be sent to Leah Leach at lleach@usaid.gov.
Who is this opportunity aimed at in terms of lead applicants?
The opportunity references Title XII U.S. Universities, which are tied to USAID's long-standing engagement with U.S. higher education institutions in international agricultural development. While the eligibility field is listed as "Others," the explicit mention of Title XII suggests that U.S. universities with relevant expertise and global partnerships are a central target audience to lead the Innovation Lab, often through consortium-style arrangements with multiple institutions and international collaborators.
What activity categories are associated with this award?
The activity categories listed include Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, Science and Technology, and other Research and Development, reflecting a research-driven award with clear development objectives.
Why does the description emphasize cross-border and fast-moving threats?
Biotic threats like pests and diseases can spread quickly across borders and escalate into regional crises. The Innovation Lab concept is designed to be responsive to real-time development needs in multiple contexts, rather than operating as purely academic research disconnected from urgent field realities.
What does "translation to real-world solutions" imply for this program?
It implies that the Innovation Lab should not stop at publishing results. It should actively connect research outputs to practical adoption through partnerships and delivery mechanisms, aligning scientific work with the needs and timelines of development programs operating on the ground.
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