Grants Awarded for Training and Education Programs

Employee health and safety are vital operational and risk-management components for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. To support employers' training efforts in preventing work-related injuries and illnesses, grants are available from various sources. This article explores several grant programs focused on training and education, including the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, Strengthening Community College Training Grants, and Florida's Incumbent Worker Training grants.

The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program

The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is specifically geared towards non-profit entity employers. OSHA awards these grants to nonprofit organizations on a competitive basis. The aim is to provide training and education programs for employers and workers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces. These programs also inform workers of their rights and employers of their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act.

Types of Grants Available

The types of grants solicited each year can vary, including:

Capacity Building Grants: These grants focus on developing or expanding an organization's capacity to provide safety and health training, education, and related assistance to targeted audiences. Organizations must provide financial plans to sustain capacity beyond the grant period. Two types of capacity building grants are available:
- Developmental Grants: These support organizations that have already established a capability to provide occupational safety and health training but want to expand their training capacity into a new safety or health topic area.
- Pilot Grants: These assist organizations demonstrating potential for meeting program objectives but need to assess capabilities, needs, and priorities before developing a full-scale program.
Targeted Topic Grants: These grants focus on training workers and/or multiple employers on occupational safety and health hazards associated with OSHA-selected training topics.
Training Materials Development Grants: These grants support the development, evaluation, and validation of classroom-quality training materials on OSHA-selected topics.

How to Apply

The Susan Harwood Grant Program solicitation is published in the Federal Register. Once published, the solicitation is posted on Grants.gov, the government-wide website for finding and applying for Federal grants. Harwood grant applicants are required to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov. Organizations must complete the Grants.gov registration process, which can take 3 to 5 days, before submitting an application.

Examples of Susan Harwood Grants in Action

The ASSP Foundation has been awarded two Susan Harwood grants and created new training courses related to fall protection and infectious diseases. Working at height can be hazardous, and this online self-paced series addresses the three parts of the personal fall arrest system (PFAS): the anchor, the bodywear, and the connecting device (the ABCs). The courses offer guidance on how to properly implement and use fall protection systems and equipment to effectively advance personal safety programs, increase efficiency, and stay OSHA compliant.

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Pandemics and widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases can claim millions of lives, disrupt societies, interrupt businesses and devastate economies. Planning and preparedness are critical to mitigating the risk and maintaining business continuity. The live, instructor-led courses provide guidance on planning and managing pandemics; review regulations and a legal framework for infectious diseases; discuss industry best practices and more.

Strengthening Community College Training Grants

The Department of Labor provides funding to support programs that help community colleges develop high-quality, short-term training programs that meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the Strengthening Community College Training Grants funding is focused on programs that seek eligibility for the newly authorized Workforce Pell Grants. It will fund projects nationwide, with individual awards up to approximately $11 million. This funding aims to foster workforce and education systems and data activities necessary to demonstrate effective outcomes required by Workforce Pell.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act authorized Workforce Pell Grants to provide access to federal financial aid for students enrolled in high-quality, short-term workforce programs. This round of funding will continue to support capacity-building efforts that strengthen the connection between community colleges and employers and will help industry sectors pursuing Workforce Pell Grants eligibility.

Florida's Incumbent Worker Training Grants

When workers lack needed training, businesses experience skills gaps, compromising a company’s ability to retain workers, grow, and prosper. Florida’s Incumbent Worker Training grants can help. These grants reimburse companies up to 75 percent for pre-approved training costs, with a focus on helping Florida’s small businesses. Companies choose their training provider based on the skills needed and can be reimbursed for employee training focused on industry or business-specific skills, technical or computer skills, or foundational skills such as leadership, teamwork, and management.

Most companies that apply for funding will be eligible for reimbursement of up to 50 percent of their direct training costs. The maximum amount a company can receive through an Incumbent Worker Training grant is $100,000.

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Client Success Story

Hilomast managers aimed to produce the most reliable telescopic mast and equipment on the market. They turned to CareerSource Florida for training resources to help improve their internal auditing processes. CareerSource Florida helped them obtain and maintain the grant, leading to certification for the company.

Additional Grant Opportunities

Various other grant opportunities exist for training and education programs:

Grants to Florida nonprofit organizations: Grants of up to $2,500 are available for new and existing educational projects that teach pre-K-12 students about the importance of agriculture. Funding is intended for projects that educate students about the source of their food, fiber, forest, and more.
Grants to Florida nonprofit organizations: Grants of up to $15,000 are available to Florida nonprofit organizations serving communities in eligible locations to strengthen organizational capacity. Funding is intended to help nonprofits serve the community more efficiently, build internal capacity, and strengthen resilience.
Grants to USA, Canada, and International organizations: Grants are available to nonprofit, for-profit, and faith-based organizations, IHEs, government agencies, and Tribal governments to research the employment of mobile health tools in low- and middle-income countries.
Grant to MD, DO, PhD, or PharmD Graduate Students: A grant is available to MD, DO, PhD, or PharmD graduate students to pursue mentored research related to hemostasis and thrombosis. The research project is expected to take place over 8-10 weeks, usually during the summer.
Opportunity for USA, Canada, and International organizations: An opportunity exists for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions to participate in workforce development accelerator. Eligible projects include AI-driven initiatives that help students, educators, and workers succeed.

NIH Training Grants

Established investigators who lead research or training programs at an institution are eligible to apply for these grants. Awards are made to institutions for investigators to recruit a cohort of trainees who participate in organized approaches to biomedical research training, mentoring, and career development. Training grants offset the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training-related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels. The majority of NIH-funded training awards are through the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program.

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