The following Project Narrative sections are required. To facilitate the application review and award process, clearly identify and organize each section in the order shown below as you complete the Project Narrative.

Applicants should address how these activities will improve safety. Applicants should also review Section F, Application Review information, to ensure the narratives contain all information on which PHMSA will evaluate.

a.   Organization Information and Capacity. Briefly provide information about your organization. This should include: (1) your organization’s mission; (2) a brief overview of your organization’s structure, programs, leadership, and special expertise; and (3) your organization’s experience and capacity to manage Federal grant programs—with emphasis on managing Federal grants related to train-the-trainer and direct training for employees involved in the transportation of HAZMAT. If your application proposes to partner with another nonprofit organization, a letter of support is required with your application.

b.   Contact Information. Identify the designated project/program managers(s) who will coordinate the funded activities; include the name, position, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the individual(s). In addition, identify the authorized representatives who will accept the awarded grant document and the individuals responsible for the submission of the required Federal Financial Reports and progress reports.

c.   Statement of Need. Describe the needs and gaps for training instructors who will then train employees who transport HAZMAT, including the needs of rural HAZMAT employees. Describe the level of need using quantitative and qualitative information preferably based upon macro-level national data, specific examples of locations with deficiencies in HAZMAT training, or a combination of both. Briefly explain how the proposed activities will help to address the identified needs.

d.   Proposed Training Activities and Timeline. Describe the proposed training activities for the HMIT grant. Include a clear timeline of forecasted dates for projected events. This section should include: (1) the type of training activities proposed; (2) the location of the activities;  (3) identify any food costs; and (4) the timeframe when the activity will take place. The timeline should include benchmarks and milestones that will monitor the project’s success. In addition, any training curriculum or instructor development activities should be described and included in the timeline of events.

e.    Curriculum. Provide a detailed description of the training curriculum that will be used. If you submitted a curriculum the prior year and no changes have been made, you must indicate this in this section. If a curriculum will be developed during the grant’s period of performance, describe this curriculum in detail and provide an estimated timeline for development.

f.  Projected Outputs and Objectives. Provide quantifiable and measurable outputs planned for the grant’s period of performance. Outputs are quantitative data that describe the proposed activities. For delivery of HAZMAT training courses, outputs should include: (1) the number and type of course(s); (2) the number of projected students trained for each course; and (3) the number of contact hours for each course. In addition, broader outcomes or goals may be provided to describe the intended impact of the proposed outputs. This can be either quantitative or qualitative and should reflect the projected impact of the grant activity outputs.

g.  Monitoring and Evaluation of Training. Provide an explanation of monitoring efforts, internal controls, and quality assurance plans to ensure grant program success. These may include but are not limited to, random examinations, inspections, and audits of training to maximize the cost-effectiveness and impact of the program.