[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 160 (Thursday, August 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50220-50223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20996]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration


Susan Harwood Training Grant Program

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2001 and 
request for grant applications.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 
awards funds to nonprofit organizations to conduct safety and health 
training and education in the workplace. OSHA will make available 
approximately $4.7 million in grant funds in fiscal year 2001 (pending 
enactment of the Agency's fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill) to 
eligible organizations for Institutional Competency Building grants 
under its Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.
    Institutional Competency Building Grants are available to nonprofit 
organizations to assist them in developing and/or expanding their 
safety and health training, education and related assistance capacity 
over a three-to-five year competency building period.
    Institutional Competency Building Grants will be awarded for up to 
five years. Annual funding in subsequent years will be dependent on the 
grantee's satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. There 
is approximately $4.7 million available for this program and an average 
Federal award will be $250,000. A minimum non-Federal matching share of 
10% is required for the first year of the grant. The required non-
Federal matching share will be increased by 5% each subsequent year of 
the grant.
    The notice describes the scope of the grant program and provides 
information about how to get detailed grant application instructions. 
Applications should not be submitted without the applicant first 
obtaining the detailed grant application instructions mentioned later 
in the notice. Separate grant applications must be submitted by 
organizations interested in applying for more than one grant.
    Section 21(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 
U.S.C. 670) authorizes this program.

DATES: Applications must be received by October 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit grant applications to the OSHA Office of Training and 
Education, Division of Training and Educational Programs, 1555 Times 
Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Mouw, Chief, Division of 
Training and Educational Programs, or Cynthia Bencheck, Program 
Analyst, OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des 
Plaines, Illinois 60018, telephone (847) 297-4810, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

What is the Purpose of the Harwood Training Grant Program?

    Susan Harwood Training Grants provide funds to train workers and 
employers to recognize, avoid, and prevent safety and health hazards in 
their workplaces. The program emphasizes three areas.
     Educating workers and employers in small businesses, and 
particularly vulnerable workers. A small business has 250 or fewer 
workers.
     Training workers and employers about new OSHA standards.
     Training workers and employers about high risk activities 
or hazards identified by OSHA through its Strategic Plan, or as part of 
an OSHA special emphasis program.
    Grantees are expected to provide occupational safety and health 
services, develop safety and health training and/or educational 
programs, recruit workers and employers for the training, and conduct 
the training. Grantees are also expected to follow up with people 
trained by their program to determine what, if any, changes were made 
to reduce hazards in their workplaces as a result of the training.

What are the Requirements for the Institutional Competency Building 
Grants?

    Nonprofit organizations that serve clients nationally or in 
multiple states, i.e., five or more states, and provide or plan to 
provide safety and health training, education and services are eligible 
to apply for these Institutional Competency Building grants. Preference 
will be given to organizations that can reach and serve one or more 
categories of workers within the target audience.
    Institutional Competency Building Grants may be funded for project 
periods of up to five years. Grant applicants must indicate the number 
of years, typically three-to-five, needed to fully integrate safety and 
health services into their organizations. Grantee organizations will be 
expected to establish or expand the occupational safety and health 
training, education and related assistance they provide to their 
clients. Grantees will be expected

[[Page 50221]]

to follow up with people trained by their program to determine what, if 
any, changes were made to reduce hazards in their workplaces as a 
result of the training. Organizations also will be expected to 
institutionalize safety and health training, education and related 
services in their organizations in order to assist these workers on an 
ongoing basis and to ensure that the services will continue after the 
grant funding expires.
    Grant applicants must provide a detailed budget and workplan 
describing planned activities for the first year of their competency 
building grant. A summary plan outlining the future development of 
their safety and health program must be provided as a part of the 
original application. The summary plan must clearly indicate the number 
of years, typically three-to-five, the organization will require grant 
funds in order to institutionalize safety and health services into its 
organization, the Federal grant funding levels being requested for each 
of those years, information about grant goals and activities for each 
year, and the organization's plans for continuing safety and health 
activities after the grant ends. The summary plan should be 
approximately four pages in length.
    To be eligible to apply, organizations must meet the following 
criteria.
     Organizations must be nonprofit and serve workers 
nationally or in multiple states (five or more states).
     Organizations must provide or plan to provide safety and 
health training, education and services to workers. Preference will be 
given to organizations that propose to reach and serve workers from one 
or more of the following target audience groups.
    a. Vulnerable workers: entry-level workers, immigrants, migrants, 
non-English speaking workers, illiterate workers, and recently employed 
inner city youth.
    b. Small business employers and employees. A small business has 250 
or fewer workers.
    c. Workers who are employed in jobs with high risk activities or 
hazards or who are affected by new OSHA standards.
    Applicants may propose safety and health topics for their programs 
that will meet the needs of their target audience. However, preference 
will be given to applicants that propose programs addressing one or 
more of OSHA's Strategic Plan topics, target industries, or other 
agency priorities, such as ergonomics.
    OSHA's Strategic Plan contains strategic goals to improve workplace 
safety and health for all workers, change the workplace culture to 
increase employer and worker awareness of, commitment to, and 
involvement in safety and health, and to secure public confidence 
through excellence in the development and delivery of OSHA's programs 
and services. OSHA's intent is to reduce the number of worker injuries, 
illnesses and fatalities by focusing nationwide attention and Agency 
resources on the most prevalent types of workplace injuries and 
illnesses, the most hazardous industries, and the most hazardous 
workplaces. The Susan Harwood Training Grants Program is one of the 
mechanisms OSHA is using to achieve its strategic goals. Information 
about OSHA's Strategic Plan is available on OSHA's web site at 
www.osha.gov in the About OSHA category.
    Organizations should develop relationships with OSHA Area Offices, 
Committees on Occupational Safety and Health (COSH), and other 
appropriate entities that can assist workers with safety and health 
problems. Applicants should describe how they will reach their target 
audience, their expertise in serving that audience, and how they will 
tailor their programs to meet the needs of their workers. Organizations 
should also tell us how they plan to conduct a follow-up evaluation 
with people trained by their program to determine what, if any, changes 
were made to reduce hazards in their workplaces as a result of the 
training.

Who is Eligible To Apply for a Grant?

    Any nonprofit organization is eligible to apply. State or local 
government supported institutions of higher education are eligible to 
apply in accordance with 29 CFR 97.4(a)(1).
    Applicants other than State or local government supported 
institutions of higher education will be required to submit evidence of 
nonprofit status, preferably from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

What can Grant Funds be Spent on?

    Grant funds can be spent on the following:
     Conducting training.
     Conducting other activities that reach and inform workers 
and employers about occupational safety and health hazards and hazard 
abatement.
     Developing educational materials for use in training being 
conducted as a part of its grant program.

Are there restrictions on how grant funds can be spent?

    OSHA will not provide funding for the following activities.
    1. Any activity that is inconsistent with the goals and objectives 
of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
    2. Training involving workplaces that are not covered by the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act. Examples include State and local 
government workers in non-State Plan States and working conditions 
exempted by section 4(b)(1) of the Act.
    3. Production, publication, reproduction or use of training and 
educational materials, including newsletters and instructional 
programs, that have not been reviewed by OSHA for technical accuracy.
    4. Activities that address issues other than recognition, 
avoidance, and prevention of unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. 
Examples include workers' compensation, first aid, and publication of 
materials prejudicial to labor or management.
    5. Activities that provide assistance to workers in arbitration 
cases or other actions against employers, or that provide assistance to 
employers and/or workers in the prosecution of claims against Federal, 
State or local governments.
    6. Activities that directly duplicate services offered by OSHA, a 
State under an OSHA-approved State Plan, or consultation programs 
provided by State designated agencies under section 21(d) of the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act.
    7. Activities intended to generate membership in the grantee's 
organization. This includes activities to acquaint nonmembers with the 
benefits of membership, inclusion of membership appeals in materials 
produced with grant funds, and membership drives.

What Other Grant Requirements are There?

    1. OSHA review of educational materials. OSHA will review all 
educational materials produced by the grantee for technical accuracy 
during development and before final publication. OSHA will also review 
training curricula and purchased training materials for accuracy before 
they are used.
    When grant recipients produce training materials, they must provide 
copies of completed materials to OSHA before the end of the grant 
period. OSHA has a lending program that circulates grant-produced 
audiovisual materials. Audiovisual materials produced by the grantee as 
a part of its grant program will be included in this lending program. 
In addition, all materials produced by grantees must be

[[Page 50222]]

provided to OSHA in a digital format for possible publication on the 
Internet by OSHA.
    2. OMB and regulatory requirements. Grantees are required to comply 
with the following documents.
     29 CFR part 95, which covers grant requirements for 
nonprofit organizations, including universities and hospitals. These 
are the Department of Labor regulations implementing OMB Circular A-
110.
     OMB Circular A-21, which describes allowable and 
unallowable costs for educational institutions.
     OMB Circular A-122, which describes allowable and 
unallowable costs for other nonprofit organizations.
     OMB Circular A-133, which provides information about audit 
requirements.
    3. Certifications. All applicants are required to certify to a 
drug-free workplace in accordance with 29 CFR part 98, to comply with 
the New Restrictions on Lobbying published at 29 CFR part 93, to make a 
certification regarding the debarment rules at 29 CFR part 98, and to 
complete a special lobbying certification.
    4. Matching share. The program requires the grantee to provide a 
matching share of funds.
    Institutional Competency Building Grant recipients must provide a 
minimum matching share of 10% of the total grant budget in the first 
year of the grant. This matching share may be in-kind, rather than a 
cash contribution, or a combination of cash and in-kind. For example, 
if the Federal share of the grant is $180,000 (90% of the grant), then 
the matching share will be $20,000 (10% of the grant), for a total 
grant of $200,000. The first year matching share may exceed 10%.
    Grant recipients will be required to increase their non-Federal 
matching share by at least 5% each subsequent year of the grant. 
Competency building grant funding will be provided for up to five 
years. For example, if the grant recipient requests three years for a 
competency building grant, the non-Federal matching share minimum is 
10% the first year, 15% the second year, and 20% the third year of the 
grant.
    5. Other. In compliance with the President's Executive Orders 
12876, 12900, 12928, and 13021, the grantee is strongly encouraged to 
provide subgranting opportunities to Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges and 
Universities.

How are Applications Reviewed and Rated?

    OSHA staff will review grant applications and present the results 
to the Assistant Secretary who will make the selection of organizations 
to be awarded grants.
    OSHA will give preference to applications that:
     Address multiple safety and health subjects. For example, 
an application for an Institutional Competency Building Grant for the 
construction industry which stresses fall protection hazards as well as 
other safety and health issues that affect construction workers would 
be preferred over one that only addresses fall protection hazards.
     Train managers and/or supervisors in addition to workers.
     Serve multiple employers. OSHA is interested in reaching 
more than one employer with each grant awarded.
    The following factors will be considered in evaluating grant 
applications.

1. Program Design

    a. The proposed competency building program will provide ongoing 
safety and health training, education and services. Preference will be 
given to organizations serving one or more of the following target 
audiences.
    i. Vulnerable workers.
    ii. Small business employers and employees.
    iii. Workers employed in high hazard industries and in industries 
affected by new OSHA standards.
    b. The application describes the occupational safety and health 
services and training to be provided and provides a detailed plan to 
institutionalize those services within the organization. The first year 
budget and workplan is detailed and describes planned activities. In 
addition a summary plan indicates the number of years grant funding 
will be required to institutionalize safety and health services into 
the organization, the Federal grant funding being requested for each of 
those years, and information about program goals and activities for 
each of those years. Also, the application explains the plans the 
organization has to continue safety and health activities after the 
grant ends.
    c. Organizations must serve members nationally or in multiple 
states (five or more states). Information about the geographical area 
to be served must be provided.
    d. The application clearly estimates the numbers of workers and 
employers to be reached and/or trained, and describes the types of 
workers and employers to be reached and/or trained.
    e. There is a plan to recruit program participants.
    f. The planned activities and training are tailored to the needs 
and levels of the target audience.
    g. If the proposal contains a train-the-trainer program, the 
following information must be provided:
--what ongoing support the grantee will provide to new trainers;
--the outline of the course curriculum that will be used by the new 
trainers to teach their students;
--a schedule of the courses to be conducted by the new trainers;
--the estimated number of students to be trained by these new trainers; 
and
--a description of how the new trainers will report back to the grantee 
about their classes and student numbers.
    h. If the proposal includes developing educational materials, there 
is a plan for OSHA to review the materials during development. There is 
also a plan to provide OSHA with copies of the materials developed, 
both in digital and hard-copy format. It is understood that these 
materials may be published on OSHA's Internet site.
    i. There is a plan to evaluate the program's effectiveness and 
impact to determine if the safety and health services provided resulted 
in workplace change. This includes a description of the evaluation plan 
to follow up with trainees to determine the impact the program has had 
in abating hazards and reducing worker injuries.
    j. There is a description of the target population, the hazards 
that will be addressed, the barriers that have prevented adequate 
training for the target population, why the program cannot be completed 
without Federal funds, and why funding sources currently available 
cannot be used for this purpose.

2. Program Experience

    a. The organization applying for the grant demonstrates experience 
with occupational safety and health and/or its ability to develop and 
institutionalize its safety and health capacity.
    b. The organization applying for the grant demonstrates experience 
training adults in work-related subjects and/or in providing services 
to its target audience.
    c. The staff to be assigned to the project have experience in 
occupational safety and health, the specific topic chosen, and training 
adults.
    d. The organization applying for the grant demonstrates experience 
in recruiting, training, and working with the population it proposes to 
serve under the grant.

[[Page 50223]]

3. Administrative Capability

    a. The applicant organization demonstrates experience managing a 
variety of programs.
    b. The applicant organization has administered, or will work with 
an organization that has administered, a number of different Federal 
and/or State grants over the past five years.
    c. The application is complete, including forms, budget detail, 
narrative and workplan, and required attachments.

4. Budget

    a. The budgeted costs are reasonable.
    b. The proposed non-Federal matching share for the first year is at 
least 10% of the total budget for Institutional Competency Building 
Grant applications.
    c. The budget complies with Federal cost principles (which can be 
found in applicable OMB Circulars) and with OSHA budget requirements 
contained in the grant application instructions.
    d. The cost per trainee is less than $500 and the cost per training 
hour is reasonable.
    In addition to the factors listed above, the Assistant Secretary 
will take other items into consideration, such as the geographical 
distribution of the grant programs and the coverage of populations at 
risk.

How Much Money is Available for Grants?

    Once the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill becomes law, 
approximately $4.7 million will be available for the Institutional 
Competency Building Grants. The average Federal award for first year 
activities will be $250,000. Grants will be awarded annually for 
competency building programs for periods of up to five years.

How Long are Grants Awarded for?

    The multi-year Institutional Competency Building Grants program 
will fund selected organizations for a period of up to five years in 
order to assist them in developing their safety and health training, 
education and related assistance capacity. Annual refunding is 
dependent on the grantee's satisfactory performance, the availability 
of funds, and an increasing non-Federal matching share.

How do I get a Grant Application Package?

    Grant application instructions may be obtained from the OSHA Office 
of Training and Education, Division of Training and Educational 
Programs, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. The 
application instructions are also available at http://www.osha-slc.gov/Training/sharwood/sharwood.html.

When and Where are Applications to be Sent?

    The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Friday, October 
27, 2000.
    Applications are to be sent to the Division of Training and 
Educational Programs, OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times 
Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Applications may be sent by fax to (847) 
297-6636.

How will I be Told if my Application was Selected?

    Organizations selected as grant recipients will be notified by a 
representative of the Assistant Secretary, usually from an OSHA 
Regional Office. An applicant whose proposal is not selected will be 
notified in writing.
    Notice that an organization has been selected as a grant recipient 
does not constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. 
Before the actual grant award, OSHA may enter into discussions 
concerning such items as program components, funding levels, and 
administrative systems. If the negotiations do not result in an 
acceptable submittal, the Assistant Secretary reserves the right to 
terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the proposal.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 10th day of August 2000.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 00-20996 Filed 8-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P