The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $293,000 in available grants through the Railroad Trespassing Suicide Prevention Program.
The NOFO solicits grant applications from eligible organizations that focus on suicide prevention or mental health assistance to implement activities to reduce railroad-related suicides. This includes nonprofits and railroads. Selected grant recipients will be awarded a maximum of $100,000 each.
“Every year, hundreds of people attempt to commit suicide using the U.S. rail system, and data analysis suggests that 50 percent or more of fatal trespass incidents are suicides,” FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory said. “We believe that allied organizations working together can reduce such incidents. These grants will strengthen existing partnerships and create new ones to help deter and prevent needless tragedies.”
The NOFO exemplifies the approaches outlined in FRA’s National Strategy to Prevent Trespassing on Railroad Property, which the agency issued in 2018. This includes providing funding and helping develop partnerships among stakeholders.
The National Strategy to Prevent Trespassing on Railroad Property also includes data collection and analysis. While the results of the projects funded by these grants will contribute to ongoing research efforts, the funds are intended for organizations to actively conduct life-saving efforts.
Projects eligible for funding under this NOFO implement specific actions narrowly tailored for reducing suicides that involve railroad trespassing. Examples include training staff to identify at-risk individuals and intervene, raising awareness of services and launching public awareness campaigns.
Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on Aug. 10. FRA will offer web-based training and technical assistance for prospective applicants.
