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Current Funding Opportunities

Broad Agency Announcement: Development and Demonstration of Mine Safety and Health Technology - Through January 17, 2017

Solicitation number: 2017-N-18045

The Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, NIOSH, is soliciting concept papers to conduct research, exploratory development, testing, or evaluations of new technologies to improve mine safety, or to adapt technologies from other industries for application in mining environments. The primary interest of this broad agency announcement is to promote the modification or final development of practical technologies or systems that can be adopted by the mining community in a short period of time.

Under this specific solicitation, proposals to conduct theoretical or basic research will not be considered. NIOSH encourages collaboration with mining industry partners who understand the reality of the mining environment and can provide insight into mine design requirements and potential commercialization of the technology.

High-priority health and safety topic areas include the development of

  • atmospheric monitoring systems (AMS) that meet mine operational needs while having a high probability of post-disaster survivability;
  • mine ventilation systems (MVS) that are linked in real time with AMS technology;
  • a smaller, lighter, more ergonomic, and more economical version of the current continuous personal dust monitor for respirable coal dust;
  • a similar mass-based, real-time dust monitoring unit to detect crystalline silica dust;
  • a system similar to--or building upon--the existing Helmet-CAM dust exposure assessment technology that can be used in the low lighting environment of underground coal mines;
  • active (triggered) barriers that might be employed in underground coal mines to suppress the possibility of a propagating explosion; and
  • methodologies to statistically analyze the volumes of data generated at mines to develop relative risk indices or matrices.

These topic areas are provided to guide responders in addressing NIOSH’s highest priorities; however, NIOSH strongly encourages proposals related to health and safety issues outside these topic areas. NIOSH also welcomes proposals in the surveillance area or other work that involves the extraction of predictive information that could produce useful data for identifying the future technology needs of the mining industry.

Responses will be accepted through 3:00 pm EST on January 17, 2017. 

Read the full Broad Agency Announcement at FedBizOpps for detailed information, proposal guidelines, and submission instructions.

 

What has the NIOSH Mining Program looked for in past Broad Agency Announcements?

Sample 1:

Broad Agency Announcement: Capacity Building and Ground Control Research for the Mining Industry - Expired April 11, 2016

Solicitation number: 2016-N-17733

The Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, NIOSH, is soliciting proposals from universities or colleges specifically focused on ground control to conduct research, exploratory development, testing, or evaluations of new innovations and technologies to improve mine health and/or safety.

The objective of this BAA is to address important mine ground control safety issues and to develop a new cohort of mine ground control experts through graduate education. Applicants are given significant flexibility in defining proposed research areas. As such, all basic or applied mine ground control research topics that have an impact on safety will be considered. Topics can be applicable to all types of surface or underground mining or can be pertinent to only a specific mining method or mineral commodity. Some example topics are:

  • Identification of conditions and mechanisms that lead to mine instability
  • Controlling ground failures in underground mines
  • Controlling highwall collapses in surface mines
  • Improved rock support, including roof bolting technology and supplemental support
  • Mine design guidelines
  • Advances in geotechnical numerical analysis
  • Improved backfilling technology
  • Innovative mine stability monitoring
  • Advanced in situ rock mass characterization.

A parallel intent is to provide an adequate supply of qualified geotechnical engineers and professors specializing in mine stability to ensure the future health and safety of our nation's mine workers.

Contract awardees are expected to produce graduates with doctoral and/or master's degrees in mining engineering or a related field in an engineering discipline with a specialization in mine ground control.

Responses were accepted through 4:00 pm EST on April 11, 2016. 

Read the full Broad Agency Announcement at FedBizOpps for detailed information, proposal guidelines, and submission instructions.

 

Sample 2:

Broad Agency Announcement: Development and Demonstration of Mine Safety and Health Technology  - Expired January 15, 2016

Solicitation number: 2016-N-17685

The Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, NIOSH, is soliciting concept papers to conduct research, exploratory development, testing, or evaluations of new technologies to improve mine safety, or to adapt technologies from other industries for application in mining environments. The primary interest of this broad agency announcement is to promote the modification or final development of practical technologies or systems that can be adopted by the mining community in a short period of time.

Under this specific solicitation, proposals to conduct theoretical or basic research will not be considered. NIOSH encourages collaboration with mining industry partners who understand the reality of the mining environment and can provide insight into mine design requirements and potential commercialization of the technology.

High-priority health and safety topic areas include the development of

  • heat mitigation systems for refuge alternatives used in underground coal mines;
  • a novel wet or foam rock dust product that disperses when dried;
  • ground control hazard recognition in underground mines utilizing video technology;
  • a distributed-sensing lifeline for mine emergency response; and
  • ergonomics interventions to reduce musculoskeletal loading while using drills.

These topic areas are provided to guide responders in addressing NIOSH’s highest priorities; however, NIOSH strongly encourages proposals related to health and safety issues outside these topic areas. NIOSH also welcomes proposals in the surveillance area or other work that involves the extraction of predictive information that could produce useful data for identifying the future technology needs of the mining industry.

Responses were accepted through 4:30 pm EST on January 15, 2016.

Want to see the full text of this expired BAA?

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Development and Demonstration of Mine Safety and Health Technology Solicitation Number: 2016-N-17685 on FedBizOps.gov

 

Sample 3:

Broad Agency Announcement: Development and Demonstration of Mine Safety and Health Technology - Expired January 12, 2015

In early 2015, the Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, NIOSH, solicited concept papers to conduct research, exploratory development, testing, or evaluations of new technologies to improve mine safety, or to adapt technologies from other industries for application in mining environments. The primary interest of this broad agency announcement was to promote the modification or final development of practical technologies or systems that can be adopted by the mining community in a short period of time.

Under this solicitation, proposals to conduct theoretical or basic research were not considered. NIOSH encouraged collaboration with mining industry partners who understand the reality of the mining environment and could provide insight into mine design requirements and potential commercialization of the technology.

High-priority health and safety topic areas included the development of

  • remote detectors for methane gas;
  • intrinsically safe absolute pressure sensors for mine atmosphere;
  • economically viable stopping/door systems for built-in-place refuge alternatives;
  • permissible, non-invasive rock property tools;
  • compact, high-capacity dust collectors; and
  • reduced noise fans for use in underground mines.

NIOSH also welcomed proposals related to health and safety issues outside these topic areas, as well as proposals in the surveillance area or other work that involves the extraction of predictive information that could produce useful data for identifying the future technology needs of the mining industry.

Want to see the full text of this expired BAA?

NIOSH BAA 2015-N-16825 on FedBizOpps.gov. Expired January 12, 2015 

 

Sample 4: 

Mine Ventilation and Safety Research and Capacity Building - Expired June 5, 2014


In mid-2014, the Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, NIOSH, solicited proposals from universities or colleges specifically focused on mine ventilation to conduct work that addresses: research, exploratory development, testing, or evaluations of new innovations and technologies to improve mine health and/or safety.

Significant flexibility was given in defining proposed research areas. As such, all basic or applied mine-ventilation research topics that have an impact on health and/or safety were considered. Topics may be applicable to all types of underground mining or may be pertinent to only a specific mining method or mineral commodity. Sample research areas included but were not limited to:

• Using booster fans in coal mining,
• Ventilating large-opening mines,
• Modeling air and methane movements in gobs,
• Modeling mine fires and explosions,
• Controlling dust,
• Controlling methane liberations,
• Preventing/controlling frictional ignitions,
• Preventing/controlling mine fires,
• Preventing/controlling spontaneous combustion in gobs,
• Managing contaminated air and smoke from fires in belt airways,
• Removing airborne contaminants, e.g. dpm, through ventilation, and
• Cooling underground workings in hot mines

Contract awardees are expected to produce graduates with doctoral and/or master's degrees in mining or minerals engineering with a specialization in mine ventilation, as well as new knowledge in mine ventilation. Additionally, NIOSH sought contract awardees that are tenured or in tenure track faculty positions in the area of mine ventilation.

Want to see the full text of this expired BAA?

NIOSH BAA 2014-N-15795 on FedBizOpps.gov. Expired June 5, 2014

 

Sample 5:

Emergency Self Escape - Expired May 23, 2014

 

The objective of this procurement was to conduct thorough ergonomic and cognitive task analyses for the task of self-escape from underground coal mines in the presence of specified hazards. Additionally, this procurement sought proposals that would result in the identification and description of all the knowledge, skills, abilities (physical and cognitive) and other characteristics (KSAOs) that may be needed to successfully complete the task of self-escape. Finally, this procurement sought proposals to provide recommendations to improve the likelihood of self-escape. These findings may facilitate NIOSH and OMSHR to develop new/improved training materials and assessment methods to ensure miners possess all the KSAOs required for self-escape from underground coal mines.

This requirement was set-aside for Small Business.

Want to see the full text of this expired solicitation?

Solicitation number 2014-N-15805 on FedBizOpps.gov. Expired May 23, 2014

 

Sample 6:

Development and Demonstration of Robotics Technologies and Systems to Support Self-Escape or Rescue Efforts - Expired May 14, 2014

 

In early 2014, the Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OMSHR) at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) had a requirement to conduct research, exploratory development, testing, or evaluations of new technologies to improve mine safety, or to adapt technologies from other industries for application in mining environments. The primary interest of this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) was to promote the modification or final development of practical robotics technologies or systems that can be adopted by the mining community in a short period of time to support self-escape or mine rescue efforts.

OMSHR is interested in robots that can:

  • be lowered through the boreholes and then navigated through the mine providing visual and atmospheric information to the operator on the surface.
  • explore several thousand feet ahead of the rescue teams and provide visual and atmospheric information to the rescued team at the fresh air base.
  • provide a "pack mule" capability for the rescue teams on a fully or semi-autonomous basis.

OMSHR is interested in explosion protection technologies that can be applied to robots to minimize or eliminate the possibility of explosion with minimal impact on the mobility and weight of the robots. The proposed solution can be either a general solution or incorporated with a solution to one of the three topic areas described previously.

Want to see the full text of this expired BAA?

NIOSH BAA 2014-N-15806 on FedBizOpps.gov. Expired May 14, 2014

 

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