Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply - Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
   
   
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.



Table of Contents
Part 1. Overview Information
Key Dates
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose

The purpose of the NIEHS/DOE Worker Training Program is to support the development of model programs for the training and education of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous materials and waste generation, removal, containment, transportation and emergency response within the DOE nuclear weapons complex. 

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) aims to prevent work-related harm through safety and health training. The training will transmit skills and knowledge to workers in how best to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during hazardous waste operations, facility decommissioning and decontamination, hazardous materials' transportation, environmental restoration of contaminated facilities or chemical emergency response. Currently, tens of thousands of DOE employees require safety and health training to help reduce the risk of being exposed during work to hazardous materials and hazardous waste products. 

This program supports institutional competency-building for the delivery of model training and education programs to hazardous materials and waste workers in the DOE nuclear weapons complex. Proper use of NIEHS and DOE training resources will result in federal and contractor employees who are highly skilled and capable of carrying out critical missions in a safe and reliable manner consistent with recognized standards of excellence. The planning and conduct of training programs should include alignment with mission priorities and efficient use of resources. 

Background 

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Section 126(g), authorizes an assistance program for training and education of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous waste generation, removal, containment, or emergency response and hazardous materials transportation and emergency response. Congress assigned responsibility for administering this program to NIEHS, an Institute of National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the US Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS). 

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal years 1992 and 1993 (42 USC 7274(d)) authorized the Secretary of Energy in section 3131(a)(1)(A)-(B) to make awards: "to provide training and education to persons who are or may be engaged in hazardous substance response or emergency at Department of Energy nuclear weapons facilities; and to develop response curricula for such training and education." The Secretary was further authorized in Section 3131(a)(2)(A)-(B) to make the training awards to non-profit organizations demonstrating capabilities in: "implementing and conducting effective training and education programs relating to the general health and safety of workers; and identifying, and involving in training, groups of workers whose duties include hazardous substance response or emergency response." 

As stated above, under SARA Section 126(g), NIEHS developed and administers the Worker Training Program (WTP). During 1992, DOE evaluated WTP for adaptation to its own program and training needs and determined that the program was suitable. To rapidly move to the implementation stage and to leverage program resources, DOE entered into an agreement with NIEHS to award and administer a grants program that adapts the NIEHS WTP training to meet the needs of the DOE nuclear weapons complex. 

Protecting worker health and safety training delivery is a priority of the Secretary of Energy and is a primary goal of the Office of Environmental Management (EM). As the DOE mission has shifted from weapons production to environmental restoration, the site worker is exposed to new operations and hazards while conducting restoration activities, many of which are associated with potential exposure to hazardous substances and wastes. 

To protect workers' health and safety, all workers at DOE sites engaged or potentially engaged in environmental restoration activities, including hazardous substance response or emergency response, are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and respective DOE directives to meet the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulations 20 CFR 1910.120 and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training requirements (40 CFR 300.150). 

Environmental cleanup is a complex undertaking, which may often pose significant dangers to remediation workers, as well as to residents of the surrounding community. Throughout the DOE nuclear weapons complex, contamination issues resulting from the historic mission of weapons production, as well as from extensive use of radioactive materials and highly toxic chemicals, have created a unique challenge for those managing environmental cleanups. There is great need for highly trained workers to carry out remediation work. 

Model training programs for hazardous waste workers and emergency responders shall satisfy minimum requirements as specified in Federal OSHA rules and other related regulations which have been or may be promulgated. Training programs shall also meet the minimum requirements specified in the Minimum Health and Safety Training Criteria: Guidance for HAZWOPER and HAZWOPER-Supporting Training (Minimum Criteria), updated in 2018 as a result of a NIEHS-sponsored technical workshop focused on revising critical components of the guidance. Originally issued in 1991, with revisions in 1994 and 2006, the latest document incorporates training issues such as updating language on technology-based training methods, collateral duty, and program evaluation. 

Consideration should also be given to Appendix E of 29 CFR 1910.120 (59 FR 43268, August 22, 1994), which references much of the NIEHS Minimum Criteria. Additionally, consideration should be given to the Global Harmonizing System (GHS) requirements within the 29 CFR 1910.1200 - Hazard Communication. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration and (OSHA Brief) that have now fully transitioned into workplace safety and health.  

During 2006, the Department of Energy (DOE) established a new safety and health program under Rule 10 CFR 851, Worker Safety and Health Program. This rule established worker safety and health requirements that govern the conduct of contractor activities at non-nuclear, as well as nuclear, sites. The Rule requires that DOE contractor workers are provided with a workplace that is free from recognized hazards that can cause death or serious physical harm. 

In January 2024, a correction and technical amendment to Rule 10 CFR 851, Worker Safety and Health Program became effective. This amendment clarifies and strengthens the final Rule that established worker safety and health requirements for management, employees, and contractors while working at DOE non-nuclear and nuclear sites. The Rule requires that DOE management, employees, and contractors are provided with a safe and healthful workplace.  

According to the DOE Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA), they have identified that in 2022, the Most Frequently Cited Standards are within the 10 CFR 851 Worker Safety and Health Program Standard. Specifically, efforts to improve knowledge and awareness by DOE management, employees, and contractors of the requirements of Sections 851.10, 851.20, 851.22, 851.23, 851.24, and 851.25 should be considered. These sections address General Requirements; Management Responsibility and Worker Rights; Hazard ID and Assessment; Hazard Prevention and Abatement; Safety and Health Standards; Functional Areas; and Training and Information.  Rule 10 CFR 851, including the technical amendment, should be a central part of any training program developed for work activities at DOE sites.  In addition, training on electrical standards, OSHA, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Electrical Code (NEC) 70, 70E, was also cited.  NFPA 70 is the benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards, and NFPA 70E deals with requirements for safe work practices to protect personnel by reducing exposure to major electrical hazards. Originally developed at OSHA's request, NFPA 70E helps companies and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast, and assists in complying with OSHA 1910 Subpart’s and OSHA 1926 Subpart K. 

In August 2023, the DOE issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to propose adoption of changes in 10 CFR 850 Chronic Beryllium Disease Prevention Program (CBDPP) that are meant to improve and strengthen the regulation and to provide consistency in interpretation, as the exposure limits for beryllium slightly vary across different regulatory Agencies. The initial rule for beryllium was established on December 8, 1999, and training under this rule is encouraged.  This Rule established the CBDPP to reduce the number of workers exposed to beryllium while working at DOE facilities; minimize the levels of and potential for exposure to beryllium; raise awareness of beryllium hazards; appropriately inform workers of their rights and responsibilities; implement hazard control and work planning; establish medical surveillance requirements to ensure early detection of the disease; and improve the state of information regarding chronic beryllium disease and beryllium sensitization. 

In April 2011, DOE issued an Integrated Safety Management Policy (ISM)  (DOE P 450.4A). Through ISM, DOE is committed to conducting work efficiently and in a manner that ensures protection of workers, the public, and the environment. It is DOE policy that safety management systems shall be used to systematically integrate safety into management and work practices at all levels so that missions are accomplished while protecting the public, the worker, and the environment. Included under ISM are requirements within the DOE Standard for Radiological Control (DOE-STD-1098-2017). This standard established regulatory requirements for occupational radiation protection in 10 CFR 835. In October 2022, DOE updated the ISM brochure. 

The policy also states that all organizations involved in DOE embrace a strong safety culture where safe performance of work and involvement of workers in all aspects of work performance are core values that are deeply, strongly, and consistently held by managers and workers. The Secretary of Energy provided Building Safety Culture Into Our DNA - Every Task | Every Person | Every Day. Additionally, NIEHS has provided documents and panel session l updates to DOE’s Safety Culture Improvement Panel to demonstrate how NIEHS training contributes to safety culture and is aligned with department priorities. 

WTP and NIEHS have strategic planning documents that can be referenced to understand program goals, expected outcomes, and ongoing initiatives. For WTP, these documents are a 2024-2029 WTP draft strategic plan, a WTP Logic Model, and a WTP Operational Matrix  . The Operational Matrix is used to track annual progress toward WTP goals and activities. The activities within the matrix link to outcomes (impacts) in the WTP Logic Model. NIEHS has a 2018-2023 strategic plan. WTP activities primarily fall under the NIEHS goals for Theme Two, Promoting Translation – Data to Knowledge to Action. WTP uses the environmental sciences to reduce risk and protect workers and public health through training. 

For the period from 1993 to 2023 the NIEHS/DOE Worker Training Program has conducted 52,228 courses, instructing 755,822 students during 9,789,101 total contact hours.  For thirty years the WTP and the DOE have been corroborating to deliver training to DOE employees and contractors there have been many successes. One recent success, which began in 2018 and continues, involves grant recipient The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR). CPWR has coordinated with their consortium partner the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to provide needed NFPA 70E National Electric Code (NEC) required training courses for Idaho National Laboratory electricians.  This coordination has resulted in 15 NFPA 70E courses being given, 156 students attending, and receiving 2,104 contact hours of required electrical training. By taking advantage of this opportunity, DOE employees and contractors have saved valuable time and significant cost savings around of $100,000 per year. Another success story is training at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) under The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). The IBT has expanded their course offerings at LANL, by delivering compressed gas bottle, ladder safety, and DOT training to meet the safety and health needs of DOE employees and contractors.  

 Program Description 

The NIEHS Nuclear Worker Training Program, in partnership with DOE EM, has supported qualified domestic nonprofit organizations to develop and administer model health and safety education programs for hazardous materials or waste workers within the nuclear weapons complex. The close collaboration with DOE EM as well as DOE’s Office of Environment, Health, Safety & Security (AU) is a critical component of the program. This collaboration seeks areas and topics where DOE, NIEHS, and its grant recipients can collaborate with site programs to enhance the safety of site operations through training.  

Target populations for training in the DOE nuclear weapons complex include those covered by federal requirements of OSHA only (CFR, Title 29, Part 1910); EPA (CFR, Title 40, Part 311) standards for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, regulations governing the NIEHS Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (CFR, Title 42, Part 65); and US Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for hazardous materials transportation workers. 

Congress recognized the training needs to support these requirements and authorized the Secretary of Energy, through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993, Section 3131, to award grants for training and education for persons engaged in hazardous substance response or emergency response at DOE nuclear weapons facilities. For purposes of Section 3131, the term "hazardous substance," in addition to its definition under CERCLA, includes radioactive waste, mixed radioactive, and hazardous waste. 

The DOE/NIEHS Worker Training Program provides site-specific, quality training for workers in a timely and cost-effective manner, through a partnership involving government, contractors, and labor organizations. A cornerstone of the program is the use of "worker-trainers" — peer trainers who are experienced employees well-versed in performing a given task in a hazardous environment who are trained to instruct other workers. 

Benefits of the partnership include fostering cooperation between management and workers, improving efficiency and quality of training, reducing training redundancy across the complex, improving the ability to address worker concerns, and empowering all stakeholders to address site-specific safety and health needs. 

NIEHS, through its grant recipients, has provided high-quality hazardous substance response or emergency response training to ensure that: (1) DOE site workers are aware of the hazards that exist at DOE sites; (2) workers are prepared to work safely in such hazardous environments to prevent accidents from occurring; and (3) workers have sufficient knowledge of their work environment and hazardous conditions to identify hazardous situations and take appropriate actions to protect themselves, fellow workers, and the environment. 

General Training Goals and Objectives 

Major program objectives for the future of the NIEHS/DOE Worker Training Program include: 

• Establish DOE and contractor safety and health training programs with best practices by drawing on the skills and knowledge of experienced workers on the job. 
• Facilitate and promote a culture of continuous learning, integrated safety management, and improved task readiness within the DOE complex. This includes assisting in the development of a positive safety culture within the complex. 
• Act as a prime source for new training methodologies, new and updated curricula, innovative techniques, and lessons learned for all DOE operations through partnering with site contractors, regulatory personnel, the DOE National Training Center (NTC), and other stakeholders. 
• Reduce safety and health training costs through standardization, centralized partner development, and minimizing necessary travel and expenses. This includes participation as appropriate with DOE directive P 364.1 Health and Safety Training Reciprocity, which establishes a policy for reciprocity of employee health and safety training. Focusing on this objective has allowed grant recipients to continually increase their internal marketability of providing desired and required safety and health training. This program helps to increase efficiency and effectiveness of departmental operations while meeting established health and safety requirements. 
• Reduce redundancy within the DOE complex by utilizing existing high-quality safety and health training programs located in partner organizations and integrating best-in-class technical training program capabilities, and creating grant recipients' opportunities to obtain and to provide NTC certified training courses.  
• Maximize the use of instructional technologies in the classroom where available and appropriate to support effective training delivery and student evaluation. Section 10.5 of the Minimum Criteria (Instructional Technologies) can be used to help assess how to best integrate web-based, virtual, and computer-based methods with traditional hands-on and classroom centered learning. 
   

 Important background information for this NOFO is available from the National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training. This Clearinghouse, which is run by a support contractor to NIEHS, is the primary communications channel through which the WTP distributes technical reports, news updates, and training information to its grant recipients, interested members of the hazardous waste worker-training community, and the public. Awards will be made for direct training to students and worker-trainers, technical support of training, and training program evaluation. Curricula and training materials exist for most topics in worker health and safety training that can be adapted with minimal effort. A WTP Curricula Catalog, developed by current NIEHS grant recipients, is available. 

Means of multiplying training are also encouraged to meet organizational needs; thus, programs such as train-the-trainers are encouraged. Programs targeted to multi-state and nationwide coverage to reach wider worker populations will be given preference in funding. Applications will not be considered that cover municipalities or other jurisdictions covering less than two states. Applicants are also encouraged to develop plans for independently continuing the program. Since this program restricts indirect costs to 8%, applicants are also strongly encouraged to develop plans to generate program income to assist in supporting efforts under the award. 

Regarding worker populations to be trained, applicants should refer to SARA Section 126 requirements for training. This identifies workers to be trained based on potential exposure and health risk and requires training for personnel engaged in hazardous substance removal or other activities, such as those involved in transportation, which expose or potentially expose such workers to hazardous substances. In addition, training is required for workers who may be exposed to unique or special hazards. 

The training scope under this program covers worker health protection from hazardous waste work and exposure to hazardous substances in the broadest sense. The applicant shall identify workers or groups of workers who need to be trained in hazardous substance response or emergency response to ensure their health and safety. These worker populations may include the existing DOE workforce; those likely to perform DOE environmental cleanup and waste management work within 120 days following the completion of training; those involved in waste transportation on, to, and from DOE sites; appropriate supervisors and managers of contractor and subcontractor activities; emergency response personnel with site mutual aid agreements; appropriate Federal, state, tribal, and local government officials who are involved in compliance efforts; and community members, members of tribal nations, and emergency response personnel surrounding DOE sites who would be responsible for or involved in a hazardous materials release. 

Applicants are expected to make a reasonable effort to develop cooperative relationships with DOE training managers to: (1) identify what training courses are needed to ensure that applicable health and safety training requirements are met; (2) accurately determine the number of employees who need training; and (3) ensure that training meets site-specific needs and is consistent with established quality standards and DOE directives and guidance. 

Education and training are essential components of health and safety programs for those who work with hazardous materials. SARA Section 126 addresses this when requiring OSHA to promulgate standards for the health and safety protection of employees in this area. OSHA final rule 29 CFR 1910.120 Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response Operations was promulgated on March 6, 1989, with an effective date of March 6, 1990. Further information about OSHA resources and interpretations of HAZWOPER training requirements is available. 

With worker health and safety training, an immediate goal is to provide students with relevant information, problem-solving skills, and the confidence needed to use these tools. Long-term goals of model training programs should be to assure that workers become and remain active participants in determining and improving the health and safety conditions under which they work, and that avenues are established for collaborative employer-employee relationships in creating safe workplaces. The active participation of workers in all aspects of work performance is an attribute of a strong safety culture, as discussed in DOE’s Integrated Safety Management Policy (DOE P 450.4A). 

Training to support the General Technical Base (GTB) Qualification Standard (QS) requirements (DOE-STD-1146-2017) should be considered. The nomenclature that the DOE refers to for GTB QS requirements is the Technical Qualification Program (TQP). The primary focus of the TQP is to ensure employees have requisite technical competency to support the mission of the DOE.  DOE employees training needs may include technical competencies including, but are not limited to Environmental Management, and Safety Management. 

These safety and health training programs are adult-based, action-oriented, and results-centered. Training for workers focuses on providing knowledge and skills that can be applied in the workplace, rather than on learning for its own sake. Workers come to training with a great volume of experience, and are, in many ways, the richest resources of a training class. Successful adult education emphasizes peer-sharing activities, such as problem-solving and simulation exercises, that tap the experience of the learner. It also harnesses the motivation an adult learner brings to the classroom when they have a use for the topic and skills being taught. After training, workers should be able to bring what they have learned in the classroom or work-site training back to their jobs. Section 8.2 of the Minimum Criteria, Principles of Adult Education Applicable to HAZWOPER, provides more details on this topic. 

Ongoing Program Initiatives 

Since the previous NOFO (RFA-ES-19-004), NIEHS has published several reports that provide lessons learned, summaries of accomplishments, and evaluation and impact findings regarding the NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker Training Program. These include an annual report of the DOE/NIEHS Nuclear Worker Training Program, highlights in state profiles, and a report of Native American and Alaska Native training through WTP, including under the DOE program. These reports are available on the WTP Training Summaries and Highlights page. The current DOE Annual Report  is for the years of 2021-2022. Additionally, the Training Evaluation webpage includes resources such as recordings of recent Evaluation Community of Practice webinars. 

To respond to the increase in technology-based training methods, NIEHS included an update in the Minimum Criteria under Section 10.5, Instructional Technologies. The Minimum Criteria provides factors to consider when new training technologies are being considered for a training program and provides criteria to help ensure the technology-based activities address literacy and user-friendliness. 

WTP recognizes that within proposed target populations there are workers who have less formal education or have limited English proficiency. Applicants are encouraged to consider how to address the language and cultural needs of these workers so that they are engaged in learning and can understand and act on the health and safety information being taught to them. 

The inclusion of institutions and organizations that have historical involvement and expertise in responding to environmental justice issues is also strongly encouraged. Participation of institutions and community-based organizations of disadvantaged  communities may include the: 

• Adaptation of curricula to address occupational health disparities and environmental justice concerns; 
• Development of training programs that outreach to environmentally disadvantaged groups and Limited English Proficient populations; and 
• Delivery of high-quality training that can enhance efforts to promote toxic use reduction, emergency preparedness in the community, chemical process safety, and pollution prevention 

The term disadvantaged refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. For the WTP this includes workers, especially those with less formal education and/or limited English proficiency, that are exposed to environmental contamination and/or have limited access to training. 

WTP-focused nuclear weapons complex and hazardous waste training has long been recognized as protecting the environment and the health of surrounding communities. Yet new health and safety concerns or regulations for workers emerge across the complex or at individual sites. Training approaches can be responsive and innovative for these new hazards to the hazardous waste workforce, such as in the areas of green remediation, green chemistry, nanotechnology, new industrial processes and chemicals, combustible dust, climate change, the storage of nuclear waste, beryllium and beryllium compound safety, respiratory protection at tank farms, and infectious diseases. 

WTP has expanded the focus on   Environmental Justice, especially under the NIEHS Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP), to focus on assuring cultural sensitivity, multilingual communications, and an appreciation for inclusion and diversity. Many of these EO's also relate to DOE and include EO 12898, 14008, and 14096. ECWTP was selected as a pilot program to the Justice40 Initiative. This whole-of-government initiative aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits from federal investments in climate change, clean energy, clean transportation, affordable housing, water infrastructure, workforce development, and pollution remediation to disadvantaged communities. ECWTP was selected because of its strong track record of helping unemployed, underemployed, homeless, and formerly incarcerated people find good jobs and become productive members of society.  Under this DOE program, reaching out to fence-line communities may be an opportunity to address requirements of these EO's and using the ECWTP as a workforce development training model may be considered.  For example, the training recently conducted by recipients to increase the number of Radiological Control Technicians (RCTs)  is an example of this focused training.  The RTC program and guidance defines and describes the RCT Core Training and Qualification Program, material development, standards and policies and administration.  This guide applies to RCT Training and Qualification at all DOE sites.  Training should focus only on technical site specific needs to meet the standard under this program.  

Substance Use and Worker Health -The current drug overdose epidemic in the U.S. is having a significant impact on the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and workers. It has become increasingly evident that on-the-job exposure and substance use disorders are challenges that impact workers in different occupations. For example, emergency and first responders face a high risk of exposure to fentanyl and other opioids on the job. Additionally, workers in high-injury risk occupations, such as construction and farming, are often prescribed opioids as treatment for occupational injury or illness, which can quickly lead to opioid use disorders. Training to address Opioids and Worker Health are critical to address those at high risk. Given the potential for exposure to these drugs and the hazardous substances used to produce them, it is important that workers in these industries understand how to protect themselves. Workplaces should strive to prevent substance use disorders by creating a healthy and safe workplace, providing support for workers in recovery to reenter or enter the workplace. It is encouraged that the occupational safety and health community work within coalitions to help build recovery supportive workplace programs and ensure they address work-related root causes of substance use through education and training. NIEHS training and approaches can be found on the Opioids and Substance Use: Workplace Prevention and Response page, and detailed in the workshop report from October 2018 entitled, “Gaps of Recovery Ready Workplaces” can be found in the report Opioid-Related Hazards in the Workplace: Developing a Training Framework to address Exposure, Use, and Prevention. NIEHS reviewed and identified gaps of recovery ready workplaces, which can be found in the Recovery Friendly Workplace Landscape Analysis report. 

Applicants may consider how these new emerging concerns may be incorporated into hazmat safety and health training at DOE nuclear weapons sites through existing or new programs and curricula. 

Applicants are encouraged to consult with WTP staff for specific questions about their proposed project. 

A Virtual DOE NOFO Informational Briefing will be held June 3, 2024, from 1:00pm-3:00pm EDT. Please refer to the WTP Current Funding Opportunities page for more information.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

• Higher Education Institutions
• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. 

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information

System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.

NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.

eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.

Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply - Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Only one application per Institution (normally identified by having a unique entity identifier (UEI) or NIH IPH number) is allowed; however, that institution may also participate as partner via a sub-award or associate program through applications submitted by other institutions.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

A virtually only briefing for interested applicants will be held on Monday, June 3, 2024, from 1-3 p.m. EDT. 

During this briefing, NIEHS staff will explain the purpose of the program, provide instructions about the application process, and answer questions. A summary of questions and answers discussed during the briefing will be available upon request from NIEHS by sending an email to wetp@niehs.nih.gov and may be posted on a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page under WTP current funding opportunity announcements . 

A registration page will be available closer to the event. You must contact Kerri Voelker at kerri.voelker@nih.gov or via phone at 919-794-4710 to RSVP to attend the Informational meeting by May 24, 2024.  Confirmation emails will be sent to all that register.  

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Leroy Worth, PhD  
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
Telephone: 984-287-3340 
Fax: 301-480-3722 
Email: worth@niehs.nih.gov

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply – Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

- For this specific NOFO, the Research Strategy section is limited to 30 pages.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply – Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Other Attachments: The following "Other Attachments" must be included to aid in the review of applications. The filename provided for each attachment will be the name used for the bookmark in the application image. 

Training Center Organizational Structure. Applicants must include a diagram of the organizational structure of the Training Center. This diagram should demonstrate how the interactions between the different aspects of the Center achieve the mandate-driven goals of the Center and how each consortia member/organization is integrated into the program structure. The diagram must be uploaded as a PDF file titled “Training Center Organizational Structure."

Description of Curricula. Applicants must describe key curricula courses in outline form. The description of each curriculum must not exceed two pages in length and must include the following: Course Title, short description of course, training provider, languages, delivery method, course hours, intended audience, learning objectives, and course outline. Do not include copies of the actual curricula. The diagram must be provided as a PDF file titled “Description of Curricula."

Tables of Year One Training Plan. To assist in understanding the detailed training plans in the first year of the proposed program, tables must be provided that clearly describe the projected total year one training and the courses to be delivered under the grant, delineated by the primary applicant organization and by consortium members or sub recipients, as applicable. Two types of tables must be included: Type A - Year One Total Project Training, that provides a summary across the consortium; and Type B - Year One Projected Courses, to include a table for the primary applicant organization and each consortium member/sub recipient, as applicable, with columns for curriculum, number of courses, number of trainees per course, contact hours per course, and total number of contact hours. The tables must be loaded as a PDF file titled "Tables of Year One Training Plan."

Tables of DOE Sites, Collaborators, and Worker Populations. To facilitate an understanding of how the applicant will interact with the DOE sites across the complex, tables must be provided that describe the sites where training programs will most often take place and the partners, collaborators, and worker populations involved in the training programs. Two tables must be included: Table A - DOE Sites, Collaborators, and Worker Populations, that provides a summary of which training organizations will provide training at which DOE sites; and Table B - DOE Site Partners, Collaborators, and Worker Populations that describes the partners or collaborators and the worker populations involved in each DOE site where training will most often occur. For applicants who plan to bring workers into regional training centers for training programs or who train workers from many sites across the DOE nuclear complex, focus the tables on the sites from which the consortium trains the most workers. The tables must be loaded as a PDF file titled "Tables of DOE Sites." 

Please refer to the WTP Funding Opportunities website for example illustrations of a curriculum description, training plan tables, and DOE sites tables.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Allowable indirect costs for this program are limited to 8% of a modified indirect cost base which excludes amounts over the first $25,000 for each consortia agreement, equipment costs, and tuition and related trainee fees.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Allowable indirect costs for this program are limited to 8% of a modified indirect cost base which excludes amounts over the first $25,000 for each consortia agreement, equipment costs, and tuition and related trainee fees.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: 

Specific Aims: State the objectives and specific aims for worker health and safety training. Describe the proposed hazardous material and waste worker populations targeted for training including size, types of work, and geographic locations. Project the number of workers anticipated to be trained. 

Research Strategy: State the broad, long-term objectives and concisely and realistically describe what the proposed training is intended to accomplish. This section should include the following: Background and Significance; Prior Experience; Administration, Staff, and Advisory Board; Target Populations; and Training Plan. 

a. Background and Significance. 

Briefly sketch the relevant background and the need for the proposed health and safety training. Give the rationale for the proposed training program. Applicants must strongly document the organization's past success in performance and effectiveness in planning, implementing, and operating worker health and safety training programs and employing adult education techniques. Give a summary of worker health and safety activities for the last five years for the major participating organizations in the proposed program. Emphasis should be placed on worker health and safety training and education experience including information on the students trained and their jobs, type of worker health and safety training given, number of workers trained, training duration, outreach activities, and new advances in training. 

b. Progress Report/Compliance with Terms of Prior Award(s). 

Applicants who are presently being funded under this program should provide a progress report of their activities. This should include: description of efforts to meet established terms and conditions, attainment of program goals and objectives of prior awards, ability to manage and expend funds in a timely manner in prior budget periods, examples of collaboration with DOE sites and contractors, examples of training program outcomes, and a summary of collaborative efforts with other grant recipients and NIEHS program staff. 

c. Administration, Staff, and Advisory Board. 

Describe the administrative structure of the proposed program and the distribution of responsibilities within it, including how the PD/PI will obtain continuing advice with respect to the operation of the program. 

Describe the extent to which participating faculty members have collaborated with the program in the past. For individuals who are not Senior/Key Personnel, list technical support staff members and identify their roles in the program. Minimum position qualifications and position descriptions must be provided for proposed staff not yet hired. Be sure to include relevant publications and scholarly articles pertaining to public health, safety, and training. 

Provide evidence of lines of responsibility and accountability. This evidence must be clearly delineated when two or more organizations are collaborating on an activity. Provide detailed plans for collaboration. 

It is intended that offsite instruction funded by the NIEHS/DOE program will be supplemented with onsite training under the direct supervision of trained, experienced personnel at the time of initial job assignment. 

Include evidence that the administrative/business official has experience or knowledge in the management of federal programs and will participate in program decisions. To assure effective and quality direct training, provide evidence of program staff with demonstrated training experience that includes use of appropriate adult education techniques. 

This must include: 

Describing the program's experience with adult education. 

For individuals who will not be Senior/Key Personnel, document the faculty members' relevant experience and training in appropriate adult education techniques for worker health and safety. 

Access to appropriate technical expertise including but not limited to toxicology and industrial hygiene. 

Develop appropriate policies and procedures for assuring fitness for training and medical clearance. 

Provide details of an external board of advisors that represents user populations, labor, industry, governmental agencies, academic institutions or professional associations with interest and expertise in worker health and safety training related to hazardous materials and waste operations and emergency response. 

Describe the Advisory Board, to include a description of the expertise of the membership of the external board (New applicants should not list names of anticipated Advisory Board members, unless they provide input into the design of the application; continuing Advisory Board members should be identified for renewal applications); and policies and procedures that allow for meaningful input to the PD/PI on the quality of training activities and the overall training program grant. The board should review student feedback, course evaluations, other appropriate evaluations, and quality assurance procedures. 

d. Target Population(s). 

Describe methods and techniques to be used for identifying and accessing target specific worker population(s) to be trained, whether organized or not, that are engaged in hazardous materials and waste operations and transportation and related emergency response. Specific descriptions of targeted training populations should reflect the respective regulations of EPA, OSHA, DOT, etc. Describe the population(s) to be trained, including size of the target population(s), worker profiles, trades and job categories, types of hazardous materials and waste operations and emergency response, geographic locations of workers, and the degree of health and safety training already received. Provide documented assurances of access to these populations for training. 

Describe outreach and recruitment plans of prospective students. Describe the type and number of workers who have applied for worker health and safety training given by your organization over the last five years, the number of workers who have completed this training, and the resulting benefit of the program to the student and their employers. 

e. Training Program. 

Courses and Curricula: Describe the proposed training program plan including the types of courses, number of students to be trained, durations of training, course training objectives, and course content. Document how the training program will meet the Minimum Criteria. Both initial and appropriate refresher training should be covered. The plan must include involvement of appropriate health and safety disciplines. Describe curricula to be used, distribution of course materials, and use of direct worker training. 

Training Methods: Describe the extent of hands-on demonstration and instruction, which simulates hazardous materials and waste operations or emergency response. Describe methods for employing adult education techniques and approaches for training and evaluating instructors. When used, technology-based training methods should be part of a blended learning approach that combines these technology-based approaches with hands-on, small group, and other instructor-led and interactive learning activities. 

Indicate how the proposed worker health and safety training will be integrated with other specialized training already provided to the proposed target worker population. Specify and highlight the integration of new program initiatives as identified in the NOFO with your proposed training plan. 

Trainer Development: The plan must include information on the training of instructors, including worker trainers, and ongoing trainer development and support activities. 

Sustainability: Discuss plans for continuing the program independently beyond the cooperative agreement period. 

Disadvantaged Populations: Plans for outreach and recruitment of prospective individuals from   disadvantaged worker populations should be included, especially those with less formal education, limited English proficiency, or limited access to training.Please note that consistent with NIH practice and applicable law, funded programs may not use the race, ethnicity, or sex of prospective program participants or faculty as an eligibility or selection criteria. The race, ethnicity, or sex of candidates will not be considered by NIH in the application review process or when making funding decisions. Provide evidence of arrangements to include institutions and organizations which have historical involvement and expertise in responding to occupational health disparities and environmental justice issues. For example, does your plan include a community outreach and involvement component which can augment the delivery of high-quality training to promote community toxic use reduction, emergency preparedness, and awareness of local hazards, chemical process safety and pollution prevention? 

Quality Control and Evaluation Plan: Describe an evaluation plan that includes both process and outcome evaluation of the training program that allows for understanding the program implementation and effectiveness as part of an ongoing quality control plan. The Minimum Criteria section 10.10 Program Evaluation provides guidance for developing an evaluation plan. 

The plan should address (1) measurement and evaluation of student learning, progress and performance; (2) methods and procedures for evaluating appropriateness, quality, and effectiveness of worker health and safety training; and (3) a process for assessing instructor effectiveness. 

Description of Relationships with DOE Training Managers and Training Facilities: Describe arrangements made with DOE training managers to: (1) identify what training courses are needed to ensure that applicable health and safety training requirements are met; (2) accurately determine the number of employees who need training; (3) ensure that training meets site-specific needs, and (4) be consistent with established quality standards and DOE directives and guidance. Also, describe how your program collaborates or cooperates with DOE national and local training facilities in terms of programs such as reciprocity, curricula sharing, or trainer capacity building. 

Letters of Support: Applicants may include letters of support pertaining to the training program. For example, these letters may include collaborative agreements for the training program, institutional support (if applicable), community support, etc. 

Resource Sharing Plan: Not applicable for this NOFO.

• Not Applicable for this NOFO.

• A Data Management and Sharing Plan is not applicable for this NOFO. 

Appendix: Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

• No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

Curricula Outlines are required: Describe in outline form the applicable standards, curricula components, modules, learning objectives and performance measures. The outline for each curriculum must not exceed two pages in length and should be included here only. Do not include copies of the actual curricula.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered “Yes” to the question “Are Human Subjects Involved?” on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start). All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time.  If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply – Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications lacking clear relevance to the NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker Training Program will be considered nonresponsive. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed. 

In order to expedite review, applicants are requested to notify the NIEHS Referral Office by email at worth@niehs.nih.gov when the application has been submitted. Please include the NOFO number and title, PD/PI name, and title of the application. 

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.  Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by NIEHS, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.

Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

Appeals of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this NOFO.

Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this NOFO. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: 

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review. 
• Availability of funds. 
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities. 

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding. 

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the recipient's business official.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

Any application awarded in response to this NOFO will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.  This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient institutions must ensure that protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:

• Federalwide Standard Terms and Conditions for Research Grants
• Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment
• Acknowledgment of Federal Funding

If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

If a recipient receives an award, the recipient must follow all applicable nondiscrimination laws. The recipient agrees to this when registering in SAM.gov. The recipient must also submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS-690). To learn more, see the Laws and Regulations Enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights website.

HHS recognizes that NIH research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this NOFO.

In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to System for Award Management (SAM.gov) requirements. SAM.gov requires Federal agencies to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently SAM.gov) prior to making an award. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov. NIH will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the information available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.” This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable US Office of Management and Budget (OMB)administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) grant administration regulations at 2 CFR 200, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism(rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the grant recipients is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the award recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the grant recipients for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the grant recipients and the NIH as defined below.

The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility to:

• Define objectives and approaches, and to plan, conduct, analyze, and publish results, interpretations, and conclusions of their studies and training activities.
• Develop the details of the training plan, which must include a description of the technical approaches, target population access and recruitment, curricula modification, training methodology, and program evaluation procedures.
• Attend Worker Training Program meetings at least twice annually to review progress, share information, and to coordinate training activities. PD/PIs and business officials shall attend at least one Worker Training Program meeting annually.
• Before use submit draft copies of training manuals, instructor guides, course curricula and other materials developed for use in training activities supported by NIEHS to the NIEHS Program Coordinator to receive technical comments and suggestions regarding the adequacy, technical accuracy, and suitability of materials to be used for worker safety and health training.
• Transmit final copies of all materials developed with support from NIEHS in approved electronic format to the National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training for Hazardous Materials, Waste Operations and Emergency Response and make them available to the general public, subject to any specific legal caveats on use or copyright protection.
• Participate annually in two technical workshops, which coincide with the two annual recipient meetings.
• Convene a Board of Advisors representing user populations, labor, industry, governmental agencies, academic institutions or professional associations with interest and expertise in worker health and safety training related to hazardous materials and waste operations and emergency response. The Board of Advisors must meet annually to evaluate training activities and provide advice to the PD/PI.
• Appoint one individual to manage information technology transfer and dissemination; access the WTP Data Management System and upload initial and final data - including the types of courses, number of students to be trained, and durations of training; and serve as the point of contact for the NIEHS Program Coordinator to ensure effective communication.

NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:

Program Coordinator will:

• Provide advice and make recommendations to PO, such as changing national priorities and directions or identifying areas of new opportunities and funding for program.
• Liaison with recipient community to support our programs, projects and activities and will share their subject matter expertise such as occupational health and safety, industrial hygiene, emergency/disaster response, hazardous waste, nuclear remediation, infectious disease, and evaluation.
• Engage with the PI/PD and other recipient staff to share knowledge and insights into the fields of science that could impact their training goals, objectives, and curricula and help to support any emergency response deployments.
• Facilitate formal program evaluation and lead the evaluation community of practice with the NIEHS WTP.
• Organize or call additional meetings/workshops of the participants to address emerging areas of high priority to the WTP and/or the problems of high incidence of illness and injury and mortality in populations experiencing occupational health disparities.
• Organize and manage the WTP Data Management System and share updates with recipients on what is needed from recipients.

Program Officials will: 

• Be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award
• Carry out continuous review of all activities to ensure objectives are being met

Areas of Joint Responsibility include:

• None; all responsibilities are divided between grant recipients and NIH staff as described above.

Dispute Resolution

Any disagreement that may arise on scientific/programmatic matters (within the scope of the grant), between grant recipients and the NIH  may be brought to dispute resolution. A dispute resolution panel will be composed of three members --one selected by the recipient, a second member selected by NIH , and the third member elected by the two prior selected members. These special dispute resolution procedures in no way affect the recipient's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appeal able in accordance with PHS regulations at 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D, and DHHS regulations at 45 CFR Part 16.

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.

4. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR Part 200.301.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later.  All recipients of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over the threshold.  See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 2 CFR Part 200, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period.  The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (Responsibility/Qualification in SAM.gov, formerly FAPIIS).  This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313).  As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available.  Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 2 CFR Part 200 – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

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Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-637-3015

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov

Sharon D. Beard 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) 
Telephone: 984-287-3237 
Email: beard1@niehs.nih.gov 

Gary Johnson 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) 
Telephone: 984-287-4590 
Email: gary.johnson@nih.gov  

Leroy Worth, PhD  
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
Telephone: 984-287-3340 
Fax: 301-480-3722 
Email: worth@niehs.nih.gov 

James Williams 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)  
Telephone: 984-287-3338 
Email: james.williams3@nih.gov 

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 65, and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92 in addition to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Section 126(g) and the National Defense Authorization Act (42 USC 7274(d) Section 3131(a)(1)(A)-(B).