NIEHS Worker Training Programs HAZMAT Training at DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex (UH4 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), an institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is planning to release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the NIEHS Worker Training Program’s HAZMAT Training at the Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Weapons Complex. This initiative will be administered as a Cooperative Agreement under activity code UH4 and will not permit clinical trials. The funding opportunity is being forecasted as part of the NIEHS’s ongoing efforts to mitigate occupational health risks through structured and expert-led training initiatives. The Worker Training Program (WTP) administered by NIEHS was established under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986. It supports the training and education of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous waste handling and emergency response. The upcoming NOFO will build on this mandate by supporting training efforts specifically for personnel at DOE nuclear weapons facilities who are potentially exposed to hazardous substances during their duties. The intent is to equip these workers and their supervisors with the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure their safety and health, particularly in environments where there is exposure to hazardous materials and potential emergencies. The anticipated funding will be drawn from the DOE Environmental Cleanup section, authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal years 1992 and 1993. According to law, the Secretary of Energy is empowered to fund training programs aimed at educating individuals on emergency response and hazardous substance exposure at DOE sites. Training must be administered by nonprofit organizations with a proven track record in implementing effective occupational health and safety education and must also target specific worker groups whose responsibilities involve emergency or hazardous substance response. This grant will provide for health and safety education efforts, covering areas such as hazardous waste generation, treatment, containment, transportation, and emergency response protocols. Applicants are encouraged to bring together interdisciplinary expertise, including areas like industrial hygiene and environmental exposure mitigation. While the total estimated program funding is $3,000,000, the specific award ceiling and floor have not been disclosed in the forecast notice. Two awards are expected to be made under this NOFO, with an anticipated application open date of September 24, 2025, and a closing date of November 25, 2025. Project awards are expected to be made by August 1, 2026, with projects also beginning on that date. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. These entities must demonstrate the capacity to administer rigorous training and educational programs relevant to the goals of the initiative. Interested applicants are encouraged to prepare early and to monitor the official NOFO release, which will provide the complete application instructions. For further details, applicants may contact Sharon D. Beard at the NIEHS via phone at 984-287-3237 or email at beard1@niehs.nih.gov. As this is a forecasted opportunity, all dates and funding details are subject to change upon publication of the final NOFO.