FY19 Short Line Safety Institute Program | FR RRD 19 004

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR RRD 19 004

The FY19 Short Line Safety Institute Program (Funding Opportunity Number FR RRD 19 004) is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). It was created on September 11, 2019, with an original application closing date of September 18, 2019. The opportunity falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category and is associated with CFDA number 20.313. The funding instrument is a grant, and the program was structured to make a single award, reflecting that it is tied to a specific Congressional appropriation.

At its core, this funding is intended to support the Short Line Safety Institute (the Institute), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to strengthen safety outcomes across the short line and regional railroad sector. The Institute's mission is to provide leadership that improves both safety culture and safety performance through voluntary, non-punitive partnerships. In practical terms, this emphasizes collaboration rather than enforcement, aiming to encourage participation by railroads and industry partners without framing the effort as a regulatory or punitive intervention.

The Institute's strategic goals under this program focus on two closely related outcomes: improving concrete safety practices and building a deeper, more consistent industry-wide commitment to safety. To accomplish this, the grant supports work organized around four main "pillars" of activity. First, safety culture assessments are meant to evaluate and understand the attitudes, norms, and organizational behaviors that influence day-to-day safety performance within short line and regional railroads. Second, education and training activities target workforce knowledge and skills, helping rail organizations adopt safer procedures and reinforce best practices. Third, research efforts support the development and testing of approaches that can measurably improve safety, including identifying risk factors and effective interventions tailored to short line operating environments. Fourth, communications activities are designed to share findings, tools, lessons learned, and safety messaging across the industry to drive broader adoption of effective practices and sustain momentum.

Financially, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of $2,400,000 with one expected award, consistent with its description as a Congressional appropriation aimed at funding the Institute specifically. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the notice indicating that additional eligibility clarification would be provided in the related eligibility text field, but the narrative of the opportunity makes clear the intended recipient is the Short Line Safety Institute. Overall, the grant is best understood as targeted federal support for a specialized, partnership-based safety program designed to raise safety performance and safety culture across short line and regional railroads through assessment, training, research, and information sharing.

• The Department of Transportation, DOT/Federal Railroad Administration in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY19 Short Line Safety Institute Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.313.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 11, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 18, 2019 No Explanation. (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 $2,400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for FR RRD 19 004

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