Mine Health and Safety Grants | MSHA 2018 1

Opportunity Information: Apply for MSHA 2018 1

The Mine Health and Safety Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: MSHA 2018 1, CFDA: 17.600) is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor through the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). It is built around the Department of Labor's broader objective of promoting safe jobs and fair workplaces, with a specific focus on securing safe and healthy working conditions in high-risk industries like mining. In practical terms, the program is designed to reduce and prevent mining-related fatalities, injuries, and occupational diseases by strengthening the systems that protect miners on the job.

The legal authority for these awards comes from Section 503 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the Mine Act), Public Law 95-164, as amended. Through this authority, MSHA can fund and support state-level efforts that align with federal mine safety and health goals. The emphasis is on coordination and cooperation between federal and state partners, recognizing that states play a critical role in day-to-day oversight, enforcement capacity, and the development of policies that can directly improve conditions in mines.

The grant supports several key types of activities. First, it can help states develop, improve, and enforce state mining laws and regulations, which may involve enhancing inspection and enforcement programs or updating regulatory frameworks to address evolving mining practices and hazards. Second, it can be used to improve state workers' compensation systems and mining occupational disease laws and programs, which is important for ensuring miners have meaningful protections and access to appropriate benefits when work-related illnesses or injuries occur. Third, the program broadly supports initiatives that improve safety and health conditions in mines through stronger federal-state collaboration, which can include coordinated strategies, shared training or education approaches, and other cooperative efforts aimed at preventing harm before it happens.

Eligibility is primarily geared toward public-sector and closely related institutions. Eligible applicants include state governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The program explicitly includes U.S. territories and similar jurisdictions within the definition of eligible state entities, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This broad eligibility reflects the nationwide footprint of mining and the need to support miner health and safety wherever mining occurs under U.S. jurisdiction.

From the funding and administrative details provided, the opportunity was posted on June 5, 2018, with an original closing date of July 16, 2018. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is listed as education, which signals that training, capacity-building, and knowledge transfer may be central components of many funded projects, even when the ultimate goal is enforcement improvement or health and safety system strengthening. The expected number of awards is 56. The listed award ceiling is 0, which typically indicates that a specific maximum award amount was not stated in the summarized source data and may have been determined by formulas, allocations, or program guidance rather than a single published cap.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a federal mechanism for helping states, eligible public institutions, and tribal governments strengthen mining safety and health protections through better laws, better enforcement capability, stronger occupational disease and compensation systems, and closer coordination with MSHA. The end goal is straightforward: fewer deaths, fewer injuries, fewer long-term illnesses, and safer working conditions for miners across the United States and its territories.

• The Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mine Health and Safety Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.600.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 05, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 16, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 56 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for MSHA 2018 1

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