Worker Training Program (WTP) — Hazardous Materials U45

NIEHS Worker Training Program uses U45 cooperative agreements to fund nonprofit worker health and safety training. The program sits within the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and focuses on workers who face hazardous materials exposure in the field. It is one of the institute's practical training channels, aimed at hazard prevention rather than laboratory research. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, unions, and consortia in the United States; for-profit firms, universities, and individuals are excluded. The training portfolio covers hazardous waste workers, DOE nuclear weapons complex workers, emergency responders, and related populations. The current cited competition is RFA-ES-24-001, the program operates on a rolling basis, and the umbrella also includes Hazardous Waste Worker Training, DOE Nuclear Worker Training, the Environmental Career Worker Training Program, and Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training. The best fit is an organization with existing training infrastructure, a credible worker network, and the ability to deliver practical safety instruction rather than general education. Because the cooperative agreement model expects ongoing coordination, successful applicants usually show deep field access, clear curriculum design, and a record of serving high-risk worker groups. Authorized under SARA Section 126, the program is best read as a federal training partnership with long-running community and labor ties.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.