Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Centers (T42) | RFA OH 25 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OH 25 002

The Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Centers (T42) opportunity (RFA OH 25 002) is a CDC/NIOSH discretionary grant program designed to strengthen the national pipeline of professionals who protect worker health and safety. The central purpose is workforce development: NIOSH is legally mandated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to help ensure an adequate supply of qualified occupational safety and health (OSH) personnel, and Education and Research Centers (ERCs) are one of the main vehicles NIOSH uses to meet that mandate. In practice, this funding supports academic-based centers that can train graduate and post-graduate learners, expand research training capacity, and serve as regional hubs for continuing education and outreach to the broader OSH community.

NIOSH ERCs are expected to deliver high-quality, interdisciplinary training across the core OSH disciplines: industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, and occupational safety. In addition to these core areas, ERCs may incorporate allied disciplines that complement and strengthen OSH practice and research. A defining feature of the ERC model is that training is not siloed; the intent is to produce professionals who can operate effectively across disciplines and understand how exposure science, clinical and nursing practice, safety engineering/management, and public health systems fit together in real workplaces.

Research and research training are not optional add-ons under this program; they are integral components of the ERC structure. ERC faculty and NIOSH-supported trainees are expected to conduct research tied to the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) and to address emerging issues that can advance the OSH field. That emphasis signals that ERCs should not only train practitioners and researchers, but also generate evidence and methods that improve prevention strategies, surveillance, risk reduction, and overall worker well-being across industries.

A major expectation is regional presence and impact. ERCs are described as resources for the nation’s workforce, which means they are expected to engage beyond the campus through continuing education, outreach, and sustained collaboration. Typical partners referenced include professional associations, worker advocacy groups, businesses and industry, and public health agencies. The program also places value on efforts that diversify the OSH profession and broaden participation, including collaboration with Minority Serving Institutions and coordination with other NIOSH-supported training programs, with the overarching goal of improving worker health, safety, and well-being.

The eligibility landscape for applicants is broad and includes multiple organization types: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other unrestricted eligible entities as stated in the notice. Even with broad eligibility, the ERC concept is fundamentally centered on academic institutions that can provide interdisciplinary graduate and post-graduate training and sustain research training and continuing education infrastructures.

There are two important application limitations spelled out in the notice. First, only one NIOSH training grant application per institution, college, or university is allowed, which means institutions need internal coordination to ensure they submit a single, unified ERC application rather than multiple competing submissions. Second, any current recipient of a NIOSH T03 Occupational Safety and Health Training Project Grants award is not eligible to receive an award or even a sub-award under this ERC notice, which is a strict exclusion that affects both prime applicants and partners.

From the funding details provided, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.262 with an award ceiling of $9,000,000 and an expected 18 awards. The posting shows an original closing date of 2028-10-26 (with a creation date of 2024-10-07) and identifies the agency as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA. Overall, the grant supports building and maintaining comprehensive ERC programs that combine interdisciplinary training, NORA-aligned research and research training, continuing education, and outward-facing partnerships that translate OSH expertise into measurable improvements in workplace health and safety.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Centers (T42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.262.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-10-26.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others, Unrestricted.

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