HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has announced the HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge for Fiscal Year 2025. This competitive funding opportunity is part of USDA’s broader initiative to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), protect the U.S. poultry industry, and reduce egg prices. The program aligns with USDA's strategy to invest up to $1 billion, as outlined in a February 2025 press release, and supports efforts to develop vaccines, therapeutics, and research strategies targeting HPAI in poultry. APHIS will award up to $100 million through cooperative or interagency agreements. Applicants may propose projects with a maximum budget of $2,000,000, although larger requests may be considered. Each project must be completed within three years from the award date, which will be no earlier than August 1, 2025. Funding is contingent upon merit-based selection, with APHIS maintaining discretion over final awards. Cost-sharing is not required, though voluntarily proposed matching contributions become binding and reportable. The program targets three priority areas: the development of novel vaccines that are safe, effective, and broad-spectrum; the creation of new therapeutic interventions, including genomic resistance and viral load reduction strategies; and research to deepen understanding of HPAI's transmission, persistence, and control mechanisms. Proposals must clearly address one or more of these priority topics to be considered. Eligible applicants include a wide array of entities such as colleges and universities, federal agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, state departments of agriculture, veterinary and producer organizations, small businesses, and both domestic and non-domestic entities. Specific eligibility rules and required documentation are outlined, and applicants may submit multiple proposals, each in its own package. Applications must be submitted through the ezFedGrants platform for non-federal applicants, or via email for federal applicants, by the deadline of May 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT. Required documents include a project Work Plan, Financial Plan, SF-424, and SF-424A forms. Appendices provide templates, registration instructions for ezFedGrants and SAM, and tips for applicants. Evaluation will be based on project relevance, feasibility, qualifications, and cost-effectiveness. APHIS will notify successful applicants via email once decisions are finalized. For inquiries, applicants may contact the USDA APHIS team at SM.AP.HPAI.Challenge@usda.gov. Additional details and templates are available on the USDA APHIS HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge website.