The Advanced Safety Certificate (ASC) Scholarship for Veterans program helps veterans who are on a safety career path obtain their NSC Advanced Safety Certificate*. 

The NSC ASC program teaches participants safety best practices. It’s a nationally recognized program that’s ideal for veterans who want to transition into a safety career or are currently in a safety role at their organization. The program delivers best-in-class professional development and provides a proactive process for safety and health. 

 Career resources and opportunities

Scholarship winners receive registration and travel accommodations at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo. Held Sept. 12 – 18 in Denver, the 2025 Congress & Expo is the nation’s largest safety conference.  It offers the opportunity to network with safety professionals and attend training sessions on emerging topics in health and safety. Scholarship winners also receive career path assistance such as internships and help in connecting with prospective employers.

The Advanced Safety Certificate (ASC) Scholarship for Veterans program application is open now through January 31, 2025. 

*Please note: You must be a veteran or currently serving to apply for this scholarship. The scholarship will support veterans that would like to start the ASC program or complete the ASC program. The scholarship will not reimburse for courses already taken within the ASC program. Selected individuals will be a part of cohort and are required to take the core course, Principals of Occupational Safety and Health during a private virtual session. All other courses within the program can be taken through the open enrollment schedule that will be provided. All courses are virtual instructor led. Recipients will be selected April 2025 and will have May 2025 through February 2026 to complete the program.

Application deadline is January 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern

2025 Road to Zero  Community Traffic Safety Grants
Road to Zero Coalition: Launched in 2016 as a partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council (NSC), the Road to Zero Coalition has the goal of ending fatalities on our nation’s roads by 2050. Tens of thousands of people die on U.S. roads in preventable crashes each year, with record high numbers of deaths for pedestrians and cyclists seen in recent years. To address this devastating reality and work towards a safer future, the Road to Zero Coalition, made up of over 1,800 member organizations, brings a cross-sector approach to implementing proven techniques. RTZ shares innovative research and actionable information, and advances the conversation around transportation safety through its three-pillar, multi-modal framework focused on:

• Doubling down on what works through proven, evidence-based strategies
• Advancing life-saving technology in vehicles and infrastructure
• Prioritizing safety by adopting a Safe System Approach and creating a positive safety culture
   

Road to Zero Grant Program: The Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grant Program is focused on supporting innovative and promising approaches for implementing evidence-based countermeasures, supporting a Safe System approach, and performing necessary research to address traffic fatalities and serious injuries, and disparities in mobility safety and access. Learn more about the Road to Zero Grant Program and the work of previous grantees.

• Proposals should demonstrate the promising nature of the countermeasure by describing the innovative implementation approach, citing the evidence of effectiveness or identifying how effectiveness will be evaluated, and/or discussing how the project fills a gap or addresses existing disparities in traffic safety.
• Proposed projects should have measurable objectives and generalizable results. That is, projects should demonstrate innovative approaches that could be replicated in other locations or scaled up to a broader level.
• The scope of work should be realistically achievable within a one-year time frame; funded extensions are not available.
• Proposals from past Road to Zero grantees are acceptable. They may be for new projects or for additional innovations on the previous project (i.e. phase #2) but not a continuation of any current or previous project.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a Road to Zero Coalition Member
• Applicant must be a non-profit organization or other entity. Individuals cannot apply.
• Government Entities (cities, states, counties, governors’ safety offices, etc.) also qualify.
• Proposed programs must operate within the United States.
• Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations are also eligible.

Funding

• Organizations may apply for a one-year grant.
• Supplanting is prohibited. "Supplanting" is defined as the "Use of Federal funds to support personnel or an activity that is already supported (paid for) by any other funds".
• Proposals selected will be reimbursed for mutually agreed grant expenses.
• Awarded grants are contingent upon the availability of funds; awards may be given in the range of $50,000 - $200,000.

Timeline

• Grant applications are due by January 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm Eastern. This deadline is firm and cannot be extended.
• Grants will be awarded beginning in Spring 2025.
• Grant work will have an expected completion date of on or before one year after the date of the award.

Reporting

• Proposals selected will be required to submit monthly reports and documentation showing objectives that have been met.
• Documentation will show objectives that have been met, time spent, and expenses incurred for grant activity.
• Grantees will submit monthly invoices for reimbursement using guidelines set out by Road to Zero and the National Safety Council.
• Grantees will be expected to have quarterly meetings with Road to Zero staff.
• Grantees will be expected to submit a formal final report detailing the project objectives and results.
• Grantees will be expected to participate in promotional activities for the grant program and the funded projects including presenting on webinars and other meetings.
• These grants are subject to the Federal funding requirements under CFDA #20.614.

Review Committee

• All submissions will undergo a technical review by National Safety Council staff, and will then be forwarded to an external Review Selection Committee for consideration.
• Committee members will include individuals such as business leaders, safety advocates, researchers, etc.
• Individuals and/or organizations applying for grants will not be eligible to serve on the Review Selection Committee.
• Final evaluation of the grant application will be composed of evaluation and scoring by the Review Selection Committee and National Safety Council staff.

Award Information

• $750,000 dollars will be disbursed per year, and the requested amounts must be between $50,000 and $200,000.

Grant applications are due by 11:59 pm (Eastern time) January 17, 2025. If you have questions email us at roadtozero@nsc.org. National Safety Council and Road to Zero Coalition staff cannot comment or provide guidance on the strength or compatibility of a proposed project.

NSC launched the Rising Stars of Safety in 2010 to highlight the achievements of the best safety professionals under the age of 40.

  The Rising Stars of Safety is designed to reward those individuals who have a current role in safety, and have influenced their company’s safety culture and safety leadership. Companies are encouraged to nominate multiple candidates, but only one honoree per company can be chosen.
  To be eligible for nomination, the nominee:

 

• Must have been nominated by another
• Can be based anywhere in the world
• Must be under 40 years old as of October 31 of the receiving year
   

The criteria that will be used in evaluating nominations may include, but not be limited to:  

 

• Demonstrated leadership
• Led a safety initiative with measurable results
• Engaged his or her peers around safety culture
• Demonstrated a personal belief in safety to business operations

  The National Safety Council may choose to recognize any number of Rising Stars of Safety in any given year. No one individual will win the award more than one time. Historically, the Rising Stars of Safety have been viewed as a “40 under 40” style award.

  When considering a potential nominee, it is important to consider the following:
 

• Self-nominations are not accepted
• Nominators should spend time early in the process discussing the nomination process with the NSC Award Manager, who can serve as a coach.
• Successful nominations include measurable, detailed descriptions and examples. Often, this means using a majority of the space available.
• The nominator’s obligation to the nominee and the process includes preparing a professional nomination package. A nominator may inform and engage the nominee in preparing this submission.
• Powerful, successful nominations are crisp in form, clear, neat, organized and not encumbered with extraneous information and endorsements. 
• All nominations must be submitted through the online application with all required fields complete.  No other documents will be accepted in lieu of the online form.
• Nominators must never assure a nominee that the award is theirs without the approval of the NSC Award Committee.

Nominations must be made through third parties; self-nominations will not be eligible. All eligible Rising Stars nominees must have at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation. A complete resume is required as part of the submission.

  Final nominations must be submitted online -- Sunday, March 2, 2025.

The Distinguished Service to Safety Award (DSSA) is the most prestigious award given to individuals by the National Safety Council in recognition of outstanding service and contribution in the field of safety. The NSC Awards Committee has established the following guidelines to facilitate the nomination process for this award program.

Scope: The DSSA is designed to reward those individuals who have had a sustained impact on safety on a local, national, or international scope. The nature of the contribution should reflect exceptional service resulting in more effective or increased levels of injury and/or illness prevention, or assistance in furtherance of those goals. This may also include advancement of safety theory and research.

Nominees:
  - Will be considered from members and nonmembers of NSC
  - Eligible nominees will have at least twenty years of experience in a safety related field
  - Active engagement in safety, either paid or unpaid, within the past five years
  - Retirees are eligible to be nominated, within two year of their retirement

Criteria:
  - Made impact on safety (international, national or local).  Impact can include affecting culture change around safety within an organization or locale; developing and implementing safety protocols previously lacking in an organization or industry; or public campaigns or advocacy with measurable success in affecting safety awareness and individual behavior.
  - Made significant and outstanding contributions to safety.  Contributions can include innovations, research, or other academic pursuits impacting safety.

Nominator Guidance: When considering a potential nominee, it is important to consider the following:
  - Self-nominations are not permitted
  - The nominator’s obligation to the nominee and the process includes preparing a professional nomination package. A nominator may inform and engage the nominee in preparing this.  
  - Powerful, successful nominations are crisp in form, clear, neat, organized and not encumbered with extraneous information and endorsements.
  - All nominations must be submitted through the online application with all required fields complete.  No other documents will be accepted in lieu of the online form.
  - Nominators must never assure a nominee that the award is theirs without the approval of the NSC Award Committee.
  - All eligible DSSA nominees must have at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation.
  - All criteria must be supported with metrics and appropriate documentation.

Deadline: Final nominations must be submitted online by March 2, 2025.
 To learn more about this award, click here.

To submit for this award, please log in and/or create a submittable.com account.  

The NSC Marion Martin Award was established in 2016 to recognize and celebrate outstanding service and contributions in the field of safety by women.  The NSC Awards Committee has established the following guidelines to facilitate the nomination process for this award program. 

Purpose: The purpose of the NSC Marion Martin Award is to recognize women who have achieved professional excellence within their area of specialty and have helped pave the way to success for other women in the profession. These women have distinguished themselves in a variety of professional settings and personify excellence on either the local, regional, national or international level.

Scope: The NSC Marion Martin Award is designed to reward those women who have had a significant impact on other women in the safety field.  This award is designed to celebrate the career of women who have not only achieved professional excellence, but did so while encouraging other women to pursue a career in safety.

Eligibility: To be eligible for nomination, the nominee must be a woman, and may not be an active National Safety Council staff member, or member of the NSC Women’s Division Leadership Committee. 

Deadline:  All submissions must be received by March 31, 2025. 

Click here to learn more about this award.

To submit for this award, please log in and/or create a submittable.com account. 

Introduction

The National Safety Council (NSC) MSD Solutions Lab is pleased to announce the Research to Solutions (R2S) grant for the year 2025-2026. The goal of the R2S grant is to develop, evaluate and/or disseminate effective solutions for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), focusing on occupational injury risk reduction.

The MSD Solutions Lab will award up to $200,000 in total for its R2S Grant Program in 2025-2026. Project budgets up to $50,000 in total costs will be considered. The indirect rate will be capped at 10%, and applications with less than the maximum budget of $50,000 are encouraged. Projects are limited to no more than one year. It should be noted that previous R2S grant recipients will not be considered for the 2025-2026 grant cycle.

R2S grants are intended to inspire collaboration among academic institutions, businesses and industries to uncover promising, transferable solutions that mitigate injury risk across a range of other industry sectors.

For the 2025-2026 grant cycle, specific priority research areas are as follows:

• Emerging technologies for risk assessment and mitigation: Examples include, but are not limited to, leveraging computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing, smart sensors, exoskeletons and exosuits, robotics (including collaborative and service), augmented/virtual and mixed reality, digital twins, and automation in addressing issues of musculoskeletal health and disorders.
• Legacy MSD high-risk jobs or tasks: Examples include, but are not limited to, solutions to jobs or tasks known to have high MSD risk but for which there is insufficient evidence regarding methods to sufficiently mitigate the risk. These can come from any industry sector, including health care and social assistance; retail trade; manufacturing; transportation and warehousing; and construction.
• MSD management systems: Examples include, but are not limited to, systems that incorporate or could be integrated with MSD solution strategies, emphasize the hierarchy of controls to “design out” hazards and risk using Prevention through Design and integrate ergonomics with process optimization through MODAPTS®, MTM and Lean Six Sigma.
• Total worker wellbeing: Examples include, but are not limited to, integrating occupational safety and health interventions and worksite health promotion programs addressing musculoskeletal health and disorders. 

Full grant submission consists of the following stages:

1. Submission of a completed and signed LOI
2. Submission of a full-length grant proposal – this stage is specific to successful applicants from the LOI process only

Every prospective applicant must submit an LOI outlining the priority area(s) above for which project funding is requested. Only one grant application per organization in a single grant cycle is allowed.

Prospective applicants are required to submit a letter of intent (LOI) before a full-length grant application. The 2025-2026 grant cycle LOI application will open on December 3, 2024, and LOIs are due by 11:59 p.m. CT, January 17, 2025.

Eligibility

Prospective applicants should be the following:

• A full-time faculty member at an academic institution (U.S. or international) who holds non-temporary positions at the rank of assistant professor or above 
• A full-time graduate student or post-doctoral fellow with a letter of support from a faculty advisor who should be listed as a co-investigator
• An organization that is in need of a unique solution or already has a project that is pursuing a unique solution in one or more of the priority areas

NOTE: Collaborations among academia, research institutions and business organizations are strongly encouraged as part of the grant proposal. 

Dissemination

The expected outcome is that each grant awardee will present their results at the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo. At this event, grantees will have the opportunity to showcase their findings and potential to scale upward. Awardees may alternately or in addition be asked to present results at a future virtual or hybrid event. 

LOI Application Format

The LOI should be in English, single-spaced with 0.5-inch margins (of U.S. standard page size of 8.5 x 11 inches), and not exceed three pages (excluding references). Acceptable fonts are Arial or Times New Roman with a font size of either 11 or 12 points. Figures and tables are allowed and can be included in the three-page limit. The LOI must consist of the following:

1. Project title and summary
2. Names of investigators (Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator and others) and their roles and responsibilities, including experience and expertise relevant to the proposal
3. Priority area(s) of interest and responsiveness (e.g., explain how the proposal is responsive to the priority area(s) of interest)
4. Research question(s) (e.g., state the question(s) you will answer regarding your proposed solution)
5. Significance (e.g., include background, the rationale and need for the proposed work, as well as why the proposed work is innovative)
6. Approach (e.g., research design, population of interest, high-risk industry and high risk task of interest)
7. Plan for Institutional Review Board submission (see note)
8. Expected results and impact(s) of the work (e.g., strategies for MSD prevention, solutions development, implementation, product development and best practice solutions)
9. Detailed budget, including indirect costs and justification (see Appendix)

NOTE: Funds may not be applied to: general operating expenses not related to the project; purchase of equipment, hardware or software, or other costs not pertinent to the project; personal expenses and accrued costs not attributable to the grant.

LOI Submission

Prospective applicants must submit the LOI through Submittable by 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, January 17, 2025. 

Review and Selection

The review committee will evaluate each proposal and score based on the selected criteria shown below: 

• Scientific Importance/Relevance to Priority Area: Does the proposal address an important scientific, technical or practical question? Will the potential findings substantially add to understanding the priority area investigated? 
• Significance of Research/Field Knowledge: Is the project original and innovative? Will the proposal work develop, test and evaluate a new methodology or solutions? Will the proposed work demonstrate a strong understanding of the area of inquiry and the underlying scientific issues? Will the proposed work make a clear case for how the research fits into a larger context of the issue under consideration for the study? 
• Approach: Are the variables and controls clearly defined for the study design, if relevant? Are correct quantitative/qualitative measures utilized for evaluating potential research outcomes? Are proper data/statistical analyses described, if relevant? 
• Impact of Work: Does the proposal state the strategies for MSD prevention and solution development clearly so they can be easily implemented? Can claims of the uniqueness of the proposal or additions to the existing solutions be justified? Can this solution be transferrable to other similar industries? 
• Dissemination of Findings and Budget Logistics: Does the proposal document sharing findings through virtual MSD Solutions Lab symposium or presentations at NSC events, research papers and knowledge transfer documentation? Is the budget justified and itemized appropriately? 

Only selected applications from Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full-length proposal (Stage 2 - not to exceed six pages, excluding references). The details of the timeline for the R2S grant are given below:

Timeline

Letter of Intent Opens: December 3, 2024

Letter of Intent Submission Deadline: January 17, 2025

Letter of Intent Outcome & Full Length Proposal Opens: February 7, 2025

Full-Length Proposal Due: March 7, 2025

Awards Announced: April 11, 2025

NOTE: Research involving human subjects must receive an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval following government regulations set forth by the applicant’s country. Businesses that do not have an IRB should submit and get approval from an external commercial IRB or partner with an institution that has an IRB willing to serve as the IRB of record for the study. It is important to note that grant funding can only be released after IRB approval.

Some research proposals not involving “human subjects” might not require IRB review or an exempt determination (e.g., MSD data sets evaluating machine learning approaches, research including access to and/or use of identifiable “publicly available” datasets). However, note that the proposal must comply with the applicant country's applicable regulatory requirements, even if your study does not constitute human research. It is advisable to contact the MSD Solutions Lab for assistance if a project does not engage human subjects.

If the grant work results in a device or product, it may need to be licensed under a Creative Commons license appropriate for wide distribution to or access to the public.

For more information, including eligibility and application requirements, please contact msdsolutionslab@nsc.org.

Appendix

Budget Justification Example

SALARY & WAGES [$XX,XXX]

• Principal Investigator [$XX,XXX]: List the roles and responsibilities of the PI (include the amount of effort in calendar months). 
• Co-Investigators [$XX,XXX]: List the roles and responsibilities of each co-investigator (include the amount of effort in calendar months).
• Other Personnel [$XX,XXX]: List the roles and responsibilities of other personnel including research associates and graduate and undergraduate students (include the amount of effort in calendar months).

FRINGE BENEFITS [$XX,XXX] 

Fringe benefits can be requested at each institution’s DHHS approved pooled rates for 9-month faculty, 12-month employees, graduate students and undergraduate students.

TRAVEL [$XX,XXX] (if any)

The budget should include the destination to collect data, estimates of airfare or other transportation costs (such as train or bus tickets); hotel accommodations or other lodging expenses; meals and incidentals; and rental car or other transportation costs while on-site. 

PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS [$XX, XXX] (if any)

Participant support costs are direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (in connection with meetings, conferences, symposia or training projects). 

MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES [$XX, XXXX] (if any)

Funds requested for equipment, hardware and software must be clearly identified and well justified. 

OTHER COSTS (if any)

Funds can be requested to include the cost to cover the tuition remission for graduate students involved in this project. 

SUBCONTRACTS [$XX,XXX] (if any)

List the roles and responsibilities of each subcontractor along with the budget justification.

TOTAL DIRECT COST: $XX,XXX

INDIRECT RATE (less than or equal to 10%): $

TOTAL COST: $

• 2025 Texas Our Driving Concern Employer Traffic Safety Awards Nomination Form
  
  This award recognizes Texas employers who have demonstrated a commitment to transportation and driver safety that promotes a culture that actively promotes traffic safety on and off the job.
   Employers who have created or implemented driving safety solutions and practices, programs or policies should apply for this award. Areas of focus may include any aspect of transportation safety targeted at employees,  the employees families, the community and contractors.
  
  GUIDELINES:
  Applicants / Texas employers will be judged on the basis of what their company is doing in terms of their driver safety program and transportation safety education and outreach within their company's safety culture focusing on driver behavior. Each business application will be reviewed individually based on merit. Consistent and on-going as well as on and off the job considerations are key components.
  
  ELIGIBILITY:
   
• Any Texas employer is eligible regardless of company type or size. 
• Nominated company must have operations in Texas.
• Nominator does not have to be an employee of the company being nominated. 
• Previous award recipients are eligible for nomination.

DEADLINE:
 Applications must be submitted by February 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM CST

AWARD CATEGORIES:
 

• Comprehensive Safety Program
• Employee Engagement in Safety
• Excellence in Traffic Safety Culture
• Innovation in Safety Practices
• Leadership in Safety

BEST PRACTICES: Award recipients exemplify the highest standards of achievement in the field of employee education and outreach in the area of traffic safety and driver behavior. These programs can serve as models or standards of comparison for Texas employers developing or reviewing their own workplace traffic safety programs. In the spirit of sharing best practices in traffic safety, the nominated organization agrees that the National Safety Council and the Our Driving Concern program may use this information in future promotional material, on the web or in print.
 

MSD Solutions Pilot Grant 

Scaling Provider-Specific MSD Reduction Strategies 

Introduction

In June 2021, the National Safety Council (NSC), America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate, and Amazon teamed up to tackle one of the most common workplace injuries: musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs. Together they formed the MSD Solutions Lab, a first-of-its-kind strategic initiative addressing this critical issue by engaging key stakeholders, conducting research, identifying new technology, innovating solutions and scaling the results — so all workplaces can benefit. As part of this multi-faceted, innovation-focused initiative, the MSD Solutions Lab is pleased to continue the Pilot Grant program (MSDs Pilot Grant) for the year 2025-2026.

The goal of the MSDs Pilot Grant program is to develop solutions for preventing MSDs by matching organizations with innovative technology providers to trial emerging technologies in real-life applications. This year’s grant program involves nine leading solution providers (listed below) featured at the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo and invites organizations to submit proposals to partner with any of these providers to reduce MSDs across any workplace.

Grant Overview

The following are the nine finalists from the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo Safety Innovation Challenge. We expect the solution providers to assist an industry partner in reducing the risk of workplace MSDs. The industry partner is either a current MSD Pledge member or interested in taking the MSD Pledge to reduce MSD risk at their workplace.

Acknowledging that MSDs remain one of the top causes of disability from workplace injuries, the MSD Solutions Lab invites organizations interested in eliminating or reducing MSD risk exposure to apply for the MSDs Pilot Grant.

• Dorn Companies: Computer vision motion capture technology that provides customized real time information that shows the exact areas of possible injury or MSD.
• Hapo: Exoskeletons designed to support the shoulders during long term "arms in front" postures.
• HeroWear: Exoskeleton/exosuit designed to take up to 100 lbs. of strain of the backs of industrial workers to provide freedom of movement to do jobs with less strain.
• IntelliSafe Analytics: A wearable smartwatch safety system that collects physiological and behavioral data to identify forceful exertion incidents.
• MakuSafe: A wearable technology and safety data analytics solution that gathers data about environmental exposures and ergonomic motions to understand risk in the workplace.
• LifeBooster, Inc.: Wearable sensors and a corresponding data analytics platform that work together to detect ergonomic, heat stress & hand/arm vibration risk exposures, which in turn serve up data aggregated for enterprise customers and detailed unique digital assessments.
• Santoku: A multisensory training simulator immerses employees in lifelike scenarios to develop and practice life-saving safety skills to help organizations eliminate workplace accidents and disasters.
• Stroma: Computer vision models and real-time data processing to monitor and analyze worker behaviors and movements, identify ergonomic risks and provide actionable insights to prevent MSDs with real time alerts and detailed reporting.
• TuMeke: Computer vision, Al-driven ergonomic risk assessment platform that works to identify and mitigate MSD risks in addition to deviations from standard tasks. 

The MSD Solutions Lab will award up to $100,000 in total funding with an individual maximum award of $20,000, subject to the availability of funds and the merit of the proposal.

The 2025-2026 pilot grant cycle application will open on December 3, 2024. 

Grant Requirements

- Each awarded organization must be either a current MSD Pledge member or become an MSD Pledge member before funds are dispersed for the project; new pledgees must sign the MSD Pledge to be eligible for this grant.

- The grantee is an organization that wants to pilot a solution, and the solution provider should assist in solving the upper extremity ergonomic hazards at the organization of the pledgee. 

• Note: A solution provider may partner with more than one grantee to address their issues.

- As part of this project, the solution provider should develop specific strategies for risk reduction, training of the grantee staff on the tech solution, trial the solution for at least six months, track injury metrics, and identify and document best practices in collaboration with the pledgee(s).

- Grant recipients are also required to deploy surveys to their employees who are piloting the solution and share the findings of those surveys (anonymously) with the MSD Solutions Lab. Grant recipients can partner with the MSD Solutions Lab to develop the survey, or can use a survey of their own with approval from the MSD Solutions Lab. 

- The funds will be disbursed directly to the grantee and the solution provider for administration. Funding is available for: 

• Shipping and transportation of technology solutions to the place of pledgee and return
• On-site training needs, including equipment necessary to run the pilot (e.g., physical equipment, software)
• Travel essential to conduct the proposed project.

- Funds may not be applied to

• Employee salaries and/or benefits of both pledgee and solution provider
• General operating expenses not related to the project
• Purchase of equipment, hardware or software, or other costs not pertinent to the project
• Personal expenses
• Accrued costs not attributable to the grant

Grant Proposal Guidelines

Each MSD Pledge member(s) and solution provider grantee team will submit a joint proposal consisting of the following:

- Project title

- Names, email addresses and affiliations of solution provider and MSD Pledge member(s)

- Proposal (one to three pages) that incorporates the following:

• Specific aims of the pilot project 
• Significance of the manual materials handling problem at the pledgee(s) workplace (e.g., metrics such as lost workdays, injury count, lagging indicators)
• Project design (e.g., study design, proposed metrics or data collection methods, population tested, implementation measurement procedures)
• Project execution timeline (e.g., start and completion of major activities, staff training using technology, results reporting).
• Any other risk reduction strategies that have been implemented, attempted or planned to address upper extremity work-related issues by the MSD Pledge member.
• Anticipated outcomes, including injury reduction metrics, possible challenges.
• Budget justification (include itemizing costs, with a justification of each item).

Grant Deliverables

The MSD Solutions Lab will collaborate with grantees and solution providers to translate and disseminate the solutions across organizations for broader visibility in the form of case studies.

The MSD Solutions Lab will engage during the project's lifecycle to: 

• Document progress reports and discuss changes in project scope (if any) 
• List challenges/barriers to using the technology (including any adverse events)
• Discuss ways to scale the solution provider intervention(s) and implementation of recommendations
• Develop case studies (e.g., lessons learned, development of risk reduction metrics, return on investment insights). 

The grantee and solution provider must report on project progress to the MSD Solutions Lab team through the delivery of one interim report halfway through the project (template to be provided). 

The grantee and solution provider must also submit a comprehensive report after the grant cycle (i.e., within 30 days of completion) and write a case study highlighting the solution provider technology for further dissemination to a broader audience. Details will be discussed with grantees during the project lifecycle.

Grant Outcomes

The expected outcome is that each grant awardee will present their results at the 2026 NSC Safety Congress & Expo or a similar venue. Awardees may alternately or in addition be asked to present results at a future virtual or hybrid event. 

At the NSC events, both grantees and solution providers will have the opportunity to showcase their findings, network with other potential organizations that are interested in utilizing the technology, and have the potential to scale upward and educate the wider audience. 

Timeline

Grant Proposal Request Opens: December 3, 2024

Grant Proposal Submission Closes: March 7, 2025

Grant Recipients Announced: April 11, 2025

For more information, including pilot grant eligibility and application requirements, please contact msdsolutionslab@nsc.org.