ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity RFA-OH-27-044

NIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

NIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60) is a forecasted federal cooperative agreement opportunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERA (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of February 8, 2027; forecast dates can change. Individual awards are listed as up to $2M, with about 2 awards expected and $10M in total estimated funding. The notice is unrestricted by applicant type, subject to any clarifications in the notice. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.262 (Occupational Safety and Health Program).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Jul 22, 2026Forecast posted
Nov 12, 2026 (est.)Full notice expectednext date
Feb 8, 2027 (est.)Application deadline
Aug 2, 2027 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: Jul 22, 2026
Est. close date: Feb 8, 2027
Est. award date: Aug 2, 2027
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: $2,000,000
Est. total funding: $10,000,000
Expected awards: 2
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Cooperative Agreement
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2027

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Unrestricted (any entity type)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.Congress intends for the award to go to a U.S. academic institution that (1) offers an ABET accredited undergraduate program in mining or mineral engineering (under the Mining and Similarly Named Engineering Programs criteria) and (2) offers graduate programs in both mining engineering and explosives engineering.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

Purpose
This NOFO supports applied research to advance automation, robotics, and intelligent mining systems that improve safety and health in U.S. mining operations. Projects should deliver field-ready solutions that strengthen communication, self-escape, refuge performance, and overall safety through modern autonomy, sensing, and decision-support technologies.

Background
Mining remains hazardous. In 2025, MSHA recorded 33 fatalities, including powered-haulage and machinery incidents. Early 2026 data show continued roof and rib failures and pressure-vessel events. Although the 2025 injury rate reached a historic low, gaps persist in emergency communication reliability, low-visibility self-escape, and refuge performance. Advances in robotics and intelligent systems offer potential for rapid assessment, resilient communications, and improved decision-making.

Approach
The Miner Health Program, 2020–2030 Strategic Agenda provides a long term framework for improving miner health and well being through integrated research, evaluation, and community engagement.
This cooperative agreement aligns with that agenda by supporting research in robotics and intelligent mining to reduce hazardous exposures, strengthen emergency response, and improve miner safety and health.

Objectives
Objectives support research in automation, robotics, and intelligent systems that enhance mining safety and health. Projects should advance "assured autonomy," ensuring autonomous equipment improves worker safety while maintaining productivity.

Potential impacts include:

Advances and implementation of human-centered design principles for automated equipment and related systems.
New methods, guidance, and best practices in change management, training/retraining, technology integration, and safety evaluation.
New methods and evaluation techniques for safe design considering the full mining operation.
Advances and availability of enabling technologies for assured autonomy, including sensors, data fusion, AI, and systems improving machine and operator situational awareness.
Availability of new miner-rescue and post-disaster surveillance technologies.

Applicants are encouraged to leverage mining and explosives-engineering graduate program facilities. Proposals must clearly state goals, link them to documented burdens, and provide concise evidence on exposures, populations at risk, and expected impact. Include supporting data such as morbidity or mortality rates and indicators of population risk.

Eligibility
Congress intends for the award to go to a U.S. academic institution that (1) offers an ABET-accredited undergraduate program in mining or mineral engineering (under the Mining and Similarly Named Engineering Programs criteria) and (2) offers graduate programs in both mining engineering and explosives engineering.

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around November 12, 2026. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyMaria Lioce, MD, Scientific Program Official · MLioce@cdc.gov Open ↗
Submit before February 8, 2027February 08, 2027 ; October 14, 2027All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm local time of the applicant organization. Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.262Occupational Safety and Health ProgramProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.262

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$131M

FY25

$128M

FY26

$113M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.262. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Maria Lioce, MD, Scientific Program Official
MLioce@cdc.gov
404-498-2575

Quick answers

Is “NIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60)” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around November 12, 2026. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “NIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60)”?

The notice lists eligibility as unrestricted — open to any type of entity — subject to clarifications in the notice's additional eligibility information.

How much funding is available through “NIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60)”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $2m, total estimated program funding is $10,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 2 awards.

How do I apply for “NIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60)”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity RFA-OH-27-044), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenResearchALN 93.262