The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for the NIEHS Worker Training Program’s Hazardous Materials Worker Health and Safety Training Program (U45 Clinical Trials Not Allowed).

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Section126(g), authorizes an assistance program for training and education of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous waste generation, removal, containment or emergency response and hazardous materials transportation and emergency response. The United States Congress assigned responsibility for administering this program to the NIEHS, an Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the US Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS).

This funding opportunity will utilize the U45 activity code to provide support for the development of health and safety training of workers exposed to hazardous materials. This consists of classroom, online, and practical health and safety training for workers and their supervisors, who are engaged in activities related to hazardous materials, hazardous waste generation, treatment, storage, disposal, removal, containment, transportation, or emergency response. This NOFO lists three distinct program areas: Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP), the Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP), and the Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training Program (HDPTP). The core program is the HWWTP and is required in order to add the other two optional programs. Investigators with expertise and insights into this area of occupational health and safety education and training are encouraged to begin to consider applying for this new NOFO. In addition, collaborative investigations combining expertise in industrial hygiene and environmental exposures will be encouraged and these investigators should also begin considering applying for this application.