NIOSH Workforce Development Funding (ERCs + TPGs)

NIOSH Workforce Development Funding is the occupational training arm of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the CDC institute inside HHS. It combines two standing programs mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: Education and Research Centers and Occupational Safety and Health Training Project Grants. The ERC line uses the T42 mechanism and supports academic institutions training graduate and post-graduate personnel in occupational safety, industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, and occupational medicine. The current cycle anticipates up to 18 cooperative-agreement awards at about $32 million a year, with three-year support for new applicants and five-year support for renewals. The TPG line uses the T03 mechanism and backs focused training in academic and non-academic settings, including programs for firefighters, commercial fishermen, and occupational safety interns. It anticipates 20 to 30 grants, with ceilings of $50,000 a year for undergraduate programs, $150,000 for graduate programs, and $250,000 for occupational medicine residency programs. Applicants fit best when they are building a durable occupational safety and health training pipeline, not a one-off project. The strongest proposals usually match a defined workforce need, a training site with credible delivery capacity, and a clear path to placing graduates or trainees into safety and health roles. LOI timing matters for the ERC line, and both programs run on multi-year, reissued announcements that extend through 2028.

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