Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OH 19 004
The Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research Cooperative Agreement (RFA OH 19 004) is a federal funding opportunity designed to reduce injuries and fatalities among workers in the U.S. commercial fishing industry by supporting practical, safety-focused research. The program was created under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 and later updated through the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014. Although the U.S. Coast Guard and OSHA are the primary bodies responsible for regulatory oversight in commercial fishing safety, this opportunity is administered through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which sits within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NIOSHs role is research-driven: it generates evidence, develops and tests prevention methods, and helps move proven solutions into real-world use so that hazardous work becomes safer.
The core purpose of the funding is to support research that improves occupational safety in commercial fishing through better technology, equipment, engineering controls, and work practices. The opportunity specifically highlights research and development related to safer vessel design; improved emergency, survival, and lifesaving equipment; stronger vessel monitoring systems; better communication devices; de-icing technology; and improved severe weather detection. In other words, the emphasis is on applied research that can be translated into tangible safety gains for crews working in difficult conditions, often far from immediate medical care and exposed to weather, machinery, fatigue, and unstable working surfaces.
Because this award is a cooperative agreement, recipients should expect substantial involvement from the federal side compared with a standard grant. In practice, that typically means ongoing collaboration, coordination, or technical input from NIOSH during the project period to help ensure the work stays aligned with program goals and produces usable outputs. The program is grounded in a formal partnership between the Coast Guard and NIOSH, established through a Memorandum of Understanding signed May 17, 2018, reflecting an intent to combine Coast Guard operational experience and safety priorities with NIOSHs occupational injury research expertise.
NIOSH identifies several broad research objectives that fit within the scope of this program. These include studying links between hazardous working conditions and injuries or fatalities; improving how hazards are detected and evaluated at fishing worksites; developing methods to measure early markers or indicators that precede serious injury events; designing and testing new protective equipment or engineering controls to reduce risk; and developing safer work practices. The opportunity also encourages projects that evaluate whether a new or improved safety method, technique, or system is feasible in real fishing operations, including the economic and practical factors that influence whether crews and operators will actually adopt it. That diffusion and adoption angle is important because even a technically strong solution may fail if it is too costly, too complex, or poorly suited to the operational reality of a specific fleet or region.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a wide range of applicants as long as they fit any clarifications in the official eligibility language. The description explicitly mentions individuals in academia, non-profit organizations, and businesses involved in fishing and maritime matters, as well as other applicants with relevant expertise in commercial fishing safety. The overall activity category is health, and the CFDA listing is 93.262, reflecting its placement within HHS/CDC programming even though the statutory origin is tied to Coast Guard authorization legislation.
From a funding and scale perspective, the opportunity anticipated making around six awards, with an award ceiling of $650,000. The posting information shows it was created on December 20, 2018, with an original application due date of February 21, 2019, and electronic submissions due by 5:00 p.m. ET on the deadline date. Even though those dates are historical for this specific posting, the summary still captures what the program is meant to support: rigorous, field-relevant research that leads to concrete improvements in safety systems, equipment, and practices for one of the nations most hazardous occupations.Apply for RFA OH 19 004
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.262.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 20, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 21, 2019 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 500 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $650,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research Cooperative Agreement (RFA OH 19 004)?
It is a federal funding opportunity that supports practical, safety-focused research intended to reduce injuries and fatalities among workers in the U.S. commercial fishing industry. The emphasis is on applied work that can translate into real safety improvements for fishing crews.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The core purpose is to fund research that improves occupational safety in commercial fishing through better technology, equipment, engineering controls, and work practices, with the ultimate aim of reducing injuries and deaths on the job.
Who administers this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How is NIOSH different from the agencies that regulate commercial fishing safety?
The U.S. Coast Guard and OSHA are identified as the primary bodies responsible for regulatory oversight in commercial fishing safety. NIOSH plays a research role: it generates evidence, develops and tests prevention methods, and helps move proven solutions into real-world use.
Why is this a cooperative agreement instead of a standard grant?
Because it is a cooperative agreement, recipients should expect substantial federal involvement compared with a standard grant. This typically means ongoing collaboration, coordination, or technical input from NIOSH during the project period to help keep the work aligned with program goals and focused on usable outputs.
What kind of projects are a good fit for this program?
The opportunity highlights research and development related to safer vessel design; improved emergency, survival, and lifesaving equipment; stronger vessel monitoring systems; better communication devices; de-icing technology; and improved severe weather detection. In general, projects should be field-relevant and aimed at tangible safety gains.
Does the opportunity focus on technology and equipment, or can it also support work practice improvements?
Both. The program emphasizes technology, equipment, and engineering controls, and it also supports developing safer work practices that can reduce risk in commercial fishing operations.
What research objectives does NIOSH list as being within scope?
The scope includes studying links between hazardous working conditions and injuries or fatalities; improving how hazards are detected and evaluated at fishing worksites; developing methods to measure early markers or indicators that precede serious injury events; designing and testing new protective equipment or engineering controls; and developing safer work practices.
Does the program support feasibility or real-world implementation research?
Yes. The opportunity encourages projects that evaluate whether a new or improved safety method, technique, or system is feasible in real fishing operations, including economic and practical factors that affect adoption by crews and operators.
Why does adoption and diffusion matter in this program?
The opportunity emphasizes that even technically strong solutions may fail if they are too costly, too complex, or not well suited to the operational realities of a specific fleet or region. Research that considers these factors is encouraged.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted. The description explicitly mentions individuals in academia, non-profit organizations, and businesses involved in fishing and maritime matters, as well as other applicants with relevant expertise in commercial fishing safety, subject to any clarifications in the official eligibility language.
How many awards were anticipated, and what was the maximum award amount?
The opportunity anticipated making around six awards, and the award ceiling was $650,000.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The overall activity category is health.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing provided is 93.262.
What law created this program, and what later updated it?
The program was created under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 and later updated through the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014.
Is there a formal partnership behind the program?
Yes. The program is grounded in a formal partnership between the Coast Guard and NIOSH, established through a Memorandum of Understanding signed May 17, 2018, intended to combine Coast Guard operational experience and safety priorities with NIOSH research expertise.
What were the posting and deadline details listed for this specific announcement?
The posting information shows it was created on December 20, 2018, with an original application due date of February 21, 2019. Electronic submissions were due by 5:00 p.m. ET on the deadline date.
Are the dates in the summary current?
The dates described are presented as historical for this specific posting. The summary still describes the program purpose and the types of research it is meant to support.
What kinds of risks and operating conditions is this program trying to address?
The opportunity targets safety gains for crews working in difficult conditions, often far from immediate medical care and exposed to weather, machinery, fatigue, and unstable working surfaces.
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