Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), has announced the availability of funding under the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants program for fiscal year 2025. This program, authorized under Section 14 of the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, aims to enhance mine safety by funding training and education initiatives that help miners and mine operators identify, avoid, and prevent unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. The program specifically prioritizes projects with broad applicability that benefit smaller mines and their workers, while also aligning with federal priorities such as increased production of critical minerals. The total available funding is $250,000, with individual awards ranging between $50,000 and $250,000. The program funds training initiatives, the development of educational materials, or both. Training may focus on topics such as powered haulage and mobile equipment safety, mine emergency preparedness, mine rescue, electrical safety, contractor and truck driver training, new and inexperienced miner training, underground pillar safety, and use of personal protective equipment. Additionally, health-related initiatives such as prevention of exposure to respirable dust and environmental hazards are supported. Programs addressing federal executive orders declaring critical minerals and coal as strategic resources will receive priority, especially those that create or adapt training for operators and miners in mines reopening or newly developed for mineral extraction. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and territorial governments; Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and nonprofit entities, including labor organizations. For-profit entities and individuals are not eligible. Nonprofit organizations must provide proof of their nonprofit status, while those organized under 501(c)(4) with lobbying activities are excluded. Applicants may apply individually or as partnerships, but a lead organization must be identified. Participants served under funded programs include mine operators, miners (including contractors), and prospective miners. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time on September 19, 2025. A complete application requires submission of standard forms (SF-424 and SF-424A), a detailed budget narrative, and a technical proposal not exceeding 12 double-spaced pages. The proposal should outline the program design, work plan, performance measures, applicant qualifications, evaluation strategies, and expected outcomes. Applicants must also submit certifications related to lobbying activities, nonprofit status (if applicable), and accounting system capacity. Modifications to the FOA will be posted on Grants.gov, and applicants experiencing hardship with electronic submission may request accommodations. Applications will be reviewed based on four weighted criteria: program design (40 points plus 5 bonus points for critical mineral focus), budget clarity and compliance (20 points), applicant qualifications (25 points), and evaluation plans (15 points). Proposals must show clear alignment with MSHA’s safety goals, demonstrate replicability and innovation, and outline methods for evaluating both short-term training outcomes and long-term effectiveness. A technical panel will review submissions and provide recommendations, with final funding decisions made by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health. Successful applicants will be notified before September 30, 2025, and the grant period will last 12 months from award. Extensions may be considered on a no-cost basis. Grantees must comply with federal cost principles, including restrictions on administrative and indirect costs, which may not exceed 15 percent of the budget. Construction costs are not allowed, and MSHA must review and approve all training and educational materials before use. Grantees are also required to submit quarterly financial and performance reports, along with a final report within 120 days after the grant period ends. MSHA retains a royalty-free license to reproduce, publish, and distribute all grant-funded materials. For questions, applicants may contact Elif Evrim Polat, Grants Management Specialist, at 202-693-9570 or Polat.Elif.E@dol.gov, or Ursula A. Frazier, Management Officer, at 202-693-9883 or Frazier.Ursula@dol.gov. For grants management issues, Shundreka R. Mims-Randolph, Supervisory Grants Management Specialist/Grant Officer, may be reached at 202-693-9358 or Mimsrandolph.Shundreka.R@dol.gov:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.