Description
Established in 1883, the Veterinary Division of USDA was USDAs first regulatory program. Created to address animal health and pertinent public health issues, USDA APHIS continues to build upon 127 years of experience in cooperating with States/Tribes/Territories, industry, and the public at large. Integral to past and future efforts for safeguarding animal health are interoperable information systems that can efficiently determine specific animals for inclusion, or exclusion, in an epidemiological investigation. The associated data elements for identifying specific animals, locations and points in time an animal(s) was at a specific location are critical for documenting the absence of disease and for coordinating and conducting a scaleable disease response at the local, regional, within a State/Tribe/Territory, or national level. Due to the increasing diversity and changing dynamics of livestock agriculture in the United States, USDA initiated focused efforts in the 1990s to explore ways to advance animal disease tracing capability. By continuing the partnership with industry and State/Tribes/Territories, and using compatible information systems to more quickly access fundamental traceability data, USDA in 2004 offered a set of animal disease traceability standards designed to better support animal disease surveillance and investigation activities. Because of the likelihood of animal movement activity at some time in an animals production cycle and the nature of animal disease movement through time and space, relevant information sharing when needed among those responsible for documenting, assessing, and mitigating animal disease threats in animal populations is essential. The strength of a national animal disease traceability network in the United States is based upon sound and effective animal disease traceability systems within States, Tribes, and Territories. This funding opportunity is offered to advance animal disease traceability by supporting the search ability of standardized animal disease traceability data within and among States, Tribes, and Territories. Priorities for FY2010 funding will be 1) maintenance of established animal disease traceability infrastructure within States, Tribes, and Territories; 2) outreach to producers, accredited veterinarians, livestock markets, and harvest facilities; and 3) advancement of animal disease tracing capability by increasing the amount and search ability of animal disease traceability data collected via APHIS/VS State-Federal Cooperative Disease program activity, interstate certificates of veterinary inspection, and other similar approaches. Animal disease traceability implementation cooperative agreement applications for Native American Tribal government support are available as part of this announcement, but will be coordinated through the Federal Area-Veterinarian-in-Charge (AVIC), the APHIS/VS Tribal liaison, and APHIS/VS Region personnel. Approved applications for funding must provide objective data documenting current animal disease traceability capability; provide objective performance measures by which animal disease traceability will be advanced with the proposed work plan for this funding announcement; and provide performance measures for addressing other proposed objectives within the application. Satisfactory quarterly and final accomplishment reports must provide objective data points commensurate with the objectives and performance elements within the application. This funding opportunity does NOT include funds for conducting or supporting pilot projects by the applicant or any subcontractor associated with this award. Similarly, funds are not to be used for the purchase, development, support, or maintenance, including licensing, of information systems.