SUSAN HARWOOD TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM, TARGETED TOPIC GRANTS

Description: The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program provides funds to develop training materials and to train workers and/or employers to recognize, avoid, abate and prevent safety and health hazards in their workplaces and provide related assistance. The program emphasizes six areas:

• Training workers and/or employers on identifying and means of preventing serious safety and health hazards identified by OSHA through the U.S. Department of Labor's Strategic Plan, or as part of an OSHA special emphasis program or other OSHA priorities.
• Educating workers on their rights and educating employers on their responsibilities under the OSH Act.
• Educating workers and/or employers in small businesses. For purposes of this grant program, a small business is one with 250 or fewer employees.
• Training workers and/or employers about new OSHA standards.
• Training at-risk and/or low-literacy worker populations.
• Providing technical assistance to employers and workers.

OSHA will accept applications for Targeted Topic grants and Capacity Building grants. For information about Capacity Building grants, see here.

There are two types of Targeted Topic grants: Training, and Training and Educational Materials Development. The emphasis for applications submitted for Targeted Topic Training grants should be on the development of quality safety and health training and educational materials, and conducting training for workers and/or multiple employers addressing safety and health hazards. Technical assistance may be proposed in addition to the training. The proposal may include training which occurs in a single or limited number of events during the 12-month performance period.

Applicants for the Training and Educational Materials Development category are expected to develop, evaluate and validate classroom-quality training and educational materials for one of the targeted audiences listed below. The purpose is to produce quality training materials and educational materials that fill an unmet need, and that have broad applicability. Limited on-site training should be proposed as part of the evaluation and validation process, but should not be a significant work plan element.

Targeted audiences:

• Small businesses (fewer than 250 employees).
• New businesses.
• Non-English speaking/limited English proficiency workers.
• Non-literate and low literacy workers.
• Young workers.
• Minority and other hard-to-reach workers.
• Workers in high-hazard industries and industries with high fatality rates.

Training for employees should be conducted in both a language and vocabulary that the employees can understand. Special consideration will be given to grant proposals that include training materials and training programs for non-English speaking/limited English proficiency workers.

Applicants may propose to address more than one of the announced grant training topics only if the topics are interrelated and benefit the training audience, or benefit multiple groups being served by the applicant organization through this grant.

Fit for public broadcasting: This is a workforce training initiative that could benefit from public broadcasting's experience in adult education and workforce development. Successful programs develop training materials in print and in other media. This program is related to the Capacity Building grants program but requires applicants to propose training that is targeted to specific occupational hazards. Public broadcasting stations are eligible to apply for this grant, but this is also an opportunity to form partnerships with community labor organizations.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations, including qualifying trade associations, labor unions, and community-based and faith-based organizations that are not an agency of state or local government, are eligible to apply. Additionally, state or local government supported institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. Eligible organizations can apply independently for funding or in partnership with other eligible organizations, but the lead organization must be identified. Sub-grants are not authorized.

Anticipated funding: There is approximately $1.5 million available under this solicitation for FY 2013. The maximum funding level for Training grants is not to exceed $110,000 per 12-month project performance period. The maximum funding level for Training and Educational Materials Development grants is not to exceed $50,000 per 12-month project performance period.

How to apply: Applications must be submitted electronically on Grants.gov. Online submission requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advance of the deadline.

Resources:
Program notice
Program website
View the list of the 2012 grantees
Helpful Tips for Improving Your Susan Harwood Grant Application
Watch the FY 2013 proposal webinar to learn more about the program and the major components of the FY 2013 competition.