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Susan Harwood Training Grant ProgramFrequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program? Through this program, OSHA awards grants to nonprofit organizations on a competitive basis. Grants are awarded to provide training and education programs for employers and workers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program was named in honor of the late Susan Harwood, a former director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA’s Health standards directorate, who died in 1996. During her 17-year tenure with the agency, Harwood helped develop OSHA standards to protect workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction. When is the solicitation for grant applications (SGA) typically published? Based on annual Congressional funding, OSHA has an annual competition for grants. It historically has been published in the spring or summer for award by the end of the Fiscal Year, September 30. Where is the solicitation publicized? The announcement of the Harwood solicitation for grant applications (SGA) opportunity is published in the Federal Register. Once the announcement has been published in the Federal Register, the SGA is posted on the government-wide Grants.gov web site. Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for Federal grants. A copy of the latest announcement is also available on the Susan Harwood webpage at: http://www.osha.gov/dte/sharwood/index.html. Can I receive email notifications regarding the Susan Harwood solicitation? You may register at www.grants.gov to receive weekly e-mails notifications regarding federal grant announcements. Contact Grants.gov directly if you have any questions or problems regarding this website. Nonprofit organizations, including community and faith-based organizations, that are not an agency of State or local government, are eligible to apply. State and local government supported institutions of higher education are also eligible to apply. Please note that Harwood grants do not provide funding to individual workers seeking to fund their retraining. What types of grants are solicited? The category of grants offered each year varies. Historically training grants have been offered for Capacity Building, Targeted Topic Training, and Training Materials Development. Special grants have also been offered when a specific training need has been identified. How much money is available annually for grants? The annual amount of funds available for the Susan Harwood Training Grant program is determined by Congress during the fiscal year budget cycle. Since FY 2001 the amount of funding available for grant awards has been approximately $10 million dollars. How are the Topics for the Targeted Topic Grants selected? Targeted Topics vary annually and are selected by OSHA based on such considerations as fatality statistics, new regulations or guidance documents, nation emphasis programs, and identified regional needs. Who is the audience for the training grants? Training grants must target specific audiences. OSHA usually assigns preferences for grants the following sectors: non-English speaking/limited English proficiency, non-literate and low literacy workers, young workers, hard-to-reach workers, workers in high-hazard industries, industries with high fatality rates, small businesses (less than 250 employees) and new businesses. How are the organizations selected for a grant award? Grant applications are reviewed by technical panels comprised of OSHA staff. The selection process includes reviews for program and technical elements, budget items, and organizational qualifications. Specific evaluation criteria are outlined in the solicitation. The Assistant Secretary of Labor makes the final selection of organizations receiving awards. OSHA may award grants for some or all of the listed topic areas. How is it decided how much money each recipient receives? With each grant solicitation, OSHA determines a recommended limit on funding requests. Applicants determine and submit their requests based on the projected cost of their proposed training program. OSHA considers the funding requests and may adjust the amount to meet Agency training needs or to match the dollar amount appropriated by Congress. Are the training materials produced under the Susan Harwood Grant Program available for use? Many Harwood grantees develop training materials and products that address workplace safety and health hazards as a part of their grant activities. A link to the materials can be found on the Harwood Web page, www.osha.gov/dte/sharwood/index.html, where they may be accessed and downloaded at no cost. As additional training products become available, OSHA will post them on this website. The products developed by grantees have been tailored to meet the needs of various training audiences (e.g., workers, employers, young workers, non-English speaking/limited English proficiency workers) and are available in a variety of formats such as training manuals, PowerPoints, pdf files, etc. Some products are also available in languages other than English such as Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin. What types of organizations have received grants in the past? Harwood grants have been awarded to various nonprofit organizations including professional associations, colleges, universities, and labor unions. Where can I obtain information on past grant awards? Each year OSHA releases award announcements that include the names of the organizations receiving grants. See information on current and past award recipients. Where can I find Susan Harwood Training? To find on-going training being conducted by current grantees, contact the Grant Program Coordinator at the Regional Office, in which the grantee is located. How can I receive more information regarding the Susan Harwood Grant Program? For more information send an email request to HarwoodGrants@dol.gov or mail the request to: U.S. Department of Labor |
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