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

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:

FY19 Short Line Safety Institute Program (FR RRD 19 004) - FAQs

What is the FY19 Short Line Safety Institute Program?

The FY19 Short Line Safety Institute Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). It is identified by Funding Opportunity Number FR RRD 19 004.

Which federal agency administers this grant?

This grant opportunity is administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

When was this funding opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on September 11, 2019.

What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was September 18, 2019.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument for this opportunity is a grant.

Is this a discretionary grant?

Yes. The notice describes this as a discretionary grant opportunity.

What activity category does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity falls under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 20.313.

What is the purpose of this grant?

The purpose of this funding is 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.

Who is the intended recipient of the funding?

Based on the program description, the intended recipient is the Short Line Safety Institute. The opportunity is described as being tied to a specific Congressional appropriation aimed at funding the Institute specifically.

What is the Institute's mission as described in the opportunity?

The Institute's mission is to provide leadership that improves safety culture and safety performance through voluntary, non-punitive partnerships.

What does "voluntary, non-punitive partnerships" mean in this context?

In this opportunity, it means the work emphasizes collaboration rather than enforcement. The intent is to encourage participation by railroads and industry partners without framing the effort as regulatory or punitive.

What are the strategic goals supported by this grant?

The strategic goals described are (1) improving concrete safety practices and (2) building a deeper, more consistent industry-wide commitment to safety across the short line and regional railroad sector.

How is the grant work organized?

The grant supports work organized around four main pillars: safety culture assessments, education and training, research, and communications.

What are "safety culture assessments" under this program?

Safety culture assessments are intended to evaluate and understand the attitudes, norms, and organizational behaviors that influence day-to-day safety performance within short line and regional railroads.

What is included in the education and training pillar?

Education and training activities target workforce knowledge and skills, helping rail organizations adopt safer procedures and reinforce best practices.

What is the focus of the research pillar?

The research efforts support developing and testing approaches that can measurably improve safety, including identifying risk factors and effective interventions tailored to short line operating environments.

What is the role of communications activities in this program?

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.

How much funding is available under this opportunity?

The award ceiling listed for the opportunity is $2,400,000.

How many awards does FRA expect to make?

The program was structured to make a single award, and the opportunity lists one expected award.

Why is only one award expected?

The opportunity indicates it is tied to a specific Congressional appropriation, and the description reflects that the funding is intended to support the Institute specifically.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as "Others." The notice indicates additional eligibility clarification would be provided in an eligibility text field, and the narrative description makes clear the intended recipient is the Short Line Safety Institute.

What sector is this program designed to benefit?

This program is designed to strengthen safety outcomes across the short line and regional railroad sector.

Is the program described as enforcement-focused or partnership-focused?

The program is partnership-focused. It emphasizes voluntary, collaborative, non-punitive approaches rather than enforcement or punitive interventions.

What is the overall intent of the program in practical terms?

Overall, the grant is intended as targeted federal support for a partnership-based safety program designed to raise safety performance and safety culture in the short line and regional railroad industry through assessment, training, research, and information sharing.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Department of Transportation, DOT/Federal Railroad Administration

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Next opportunity: STD/HIV Disease Intervention Training Centers (DITC)

Previous opportunity: Revised Program Year 2019 Funding Levels for WIOA Title I Dislocated Worker

Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for FR RRD 19 004

 

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (FR RRD 19 004) also looked into and applied for these:

Funding Opportunity
Cooperative Ecosystem Unit Studies Apply for F19AS00387

Funding Number: F19AS00387
Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $50,000
Notice of Intent Apply for USGS 19 FA 0177

Funding Number: USGS 19 FA 0177
Agency: Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $654,963
Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit Apply for F19AS00388

Funding Number: F19AS00388
Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $100,000
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Assistance Programs Apply for F19AS00391

Funding Number: F19AS00391
Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $100,000
Smallsat Technology Partnerships Apply for 80HQTR19NOA01 20STP S1

Funding Number: 80HQTR19NOA01 20STP S1
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Headquarters
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $400,000
Researching Alpine Species Apply for P19AS00606

Funding Number: P19AS00606
Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $570,000
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Colorado Plateau CESU Apply for G19AS00134

Funding Number: G19AS00134
Agency: Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $150,000
Defense Production Act Title III Expansion of Domestic Production Capability and Capacity; Call 001 Apply for FA8650 19 S 5010 CALL 001

Funding Number: FA8650 19 S 5010 CALL 001
Agency: Department of Defense, Air Force -- Research Lab
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $2,000,000
Endangered Species Conservation - Recovery Implementation Funds Apply for F19AS00399

Funding Number: F19AS00399
Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $195,000
PERFORMANCE-BASED ENERGY RESOURCE FEEDBACK, OPTIMIZATION, AND RISK MANAGEMENT (PERFORM) Apply for DE FOA 0002171

Funding Number: DE FOA 0002171
Agency: Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $10,000,000
Transdisciplinary Research in Principles of Data Science Phase II Apply for 19 604

Funding Number: 19 604
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $15,000,000
Nanoscale Interactions Apply for PD 20 1179

Funding Number: PD 20 1179
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
Defense Production Act Title III Expansion of Domestic Production Capability and Capacity; Call 002 Lithium Seawater Batteries project Apply for FA8650 19 S 5010 CALL 002

Funding Number: FA8650 19 S 5010 CALL 002
Agency: Department of Defense, Air Force -- Research Lab
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $20,000,000
Mid-Scale Innovations Program in Astronomical Sciences Apply for 19 605

Funding Number: 19 605
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $30,000,000
Ethical and Responsible Research Apply for 19 609

Funding Number: 19 609
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure - NEH Documenting Endangered Languages Apply for 19 606

Funding Number: 19 606
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
Linguistics: Dynamic Language Infrastructure-Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants Apply for 19 607

Funding Number: 19 607
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
Human Networks and Data Science - Infrastructure Apply for 19 608

Funding Number: 19 608
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
Science of Science - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants Apply for 19 611

Funding Number: 19 611
Agency: National Science Foundation
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: Case Dependent
National Academy of Sciences: Core Program Services for a Highway RD&T Apply for 693JJ320NF00002

Funding Number: 693JJ320NF00002
Agency: Department of Transportation, DOT Federal Highway Administration
Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Funding Amount: $7,000,000

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

Inside Our Applicants Portal

  • Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
  • Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
  • Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Access Applicants Portal

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Learn More

 

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "FR RRD 19 004", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.

 

Ask a Question: