Apply for PennDOT Behavioral Highway Safety Grants

Supplements efforts provided by the existing statewide child passenger safety project organized by the PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) by providing additional trainings for CPS technicians across the state, broaden outreach efforts, and distribute car seats to underserved communities.

PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)

Provides education and outreach to change dangerous driving behaviors across PA, especially among teen drivers.

PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)

Development and facilitation of a DUI Court system, including judicial training in the area of DUI courts, establishment of new probation officers to monitor DUI court participants, and necessary equipment.

PennDOT Contact: Scott Kubisiak, Enforcement Programs Manager (717-346-8193; skubisiak@pa.gov​)

Coordination of the Judicial Outreach Liaison position in accordance with national and state guidelines in support of the Commonwealth’s Highway Safety Program.

PennDOT Contact: Scott Kubisiak, Enforcement Programs Manager (717-346-8193; skubisiak@pa.gov​)

Coordination of technical services in support of the Commonwealth's Impaired Driving Program, including specialized training and statewide coordination of the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program.

PennDOT Contact: Scott Kubisiak, Enforcement Programs Manager (717-346-8193; skubisiak@pa.gov​)

Provides administrative and technical support for state and local law enforcement participation in grant-funded enforcement operations in alignment with National Law Enforcement Liaison Program standards and best practices.

PennDOT Contact: Scott Kubisiak, Enforcement Programs Manager (717-346-8193; skubisiak@pa.gov​)

Coordination of activities designed to assist PennDOT with supporting Pennsylvania Police Agency crash report filing in addition to other services as identified.

PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)

Supports a qualified individual with expertise in traffic safety education to serve as a liaison between the Pennsylvania State Highway Safety Office (SHSO) and the traffic safety education community, particularly Community Traffic Safety Projects (CTSPs). This role will also function as the SHSO’s Public Participation and Engagement (PP&E) Coordinator. Proposals should include a budget that designates funding for sub-grants to support smaller traffic safety education projects.

PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)

Coordination of the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor position in accordance with national and state guidelines in support of the Commonwealth’s Highway Safety Program.

PennDOT Contact: Scott Kubisiak, Enforcement Programs Manager (717-346-8193; skubisiak@pa.gov​)

Provides education on Pennsylvania’s pedestrian and bicycle laws in communities where vulnerable road users account for a significant share of crashes. Projects should also address emerging issues and incorporate education on new or recent legislation affecting VRUs. Funding may support community engagement efforts that directly involve affected populations in planning future programs. Multiple projects may be funded in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2027.

PennDOT Contact: Christy Timbrell, Highway Safety Outreach Programs Manager (717-783-4577; ctimbrell@pa.gov)

​General questions related to the Pennsylvania Highway Safety Program should be directed to RA-PDSHSO_GRANTS@pa.gov.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest to RA-PDSHSO_GRANTS@pa.gov. If preapproved, and upon successful registration with the eGrants system, applications can be created electronically for submission to PennDOT during the identified application period. Once the deadline for submission of proposals has closed, PennDOT will begin evaluating and scoring proposals based on established criteria. Applicants will be notified if the proposal was successful, rejected, or successful pending revisions.

​All grant applications are due by May 31. Additional opportunities may be offered throughout the year based on funding availability and approval by PennDOT and NHTSA.

​Research and evaluation studies have validated the effectiveness of certain strategies for improving traffic safety. These strategies are considered "Proven" or "Evidence-Based" and are given highest priority when selecting successful applications.

Proposals that include an innovative demonstration project/activity for which no research exists to support its effectiveness must contain a strong evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of the project at its conclusion.

​Matching or cost sharing means the value of an agency's in-kind contributions that are separate from federally funded projects.

​A match requirement cannot be met by funding from another federal grant. In addition, the funding cannot be counted toward satisfying a matching requirement for a different federal grant agreement. The organization's project director for the grant is responsible for making sure the matching amount is verifiable and must maintain records for three years starting on the date of the final claim for reimbursement.

Grant agreement conditions are required components of a fully executed grant agreement. These conditions outline the rules that apply to all grants and include:

• Federal Audit Clause
• Federal Non-discrimination Clause
• Commonwealth Non-discrimination Clause
• Contractor Integrity Provision
• Certification of Restrictions on Lobbying
• Commonwealth Right to Know Law Provisions
• Grantee Certifications and Assurances
• Other applicable Federal and State conditions as identified

Assistance Listing Numbers (ALN) are used for financial reporting of grants. A list of all programs can be found at SAM.gov.

​Competitive grants are selected based on the results of a scoring team and program manager review. Grant proposals are scored on seven key areas:

• Problem Statement includes data beyond crash statistics
• Alignment to Strategic Focus Areas and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration goals
• Program Activities
• Measurement of Results/Evaluation/Effectiveness
• Past Performance
• Agency/Personnel Qualifications
• Proposed Budget

Non-competitive grants utilize an allocation formula based on crash data to proactively identify geographic locations/jurisdictions for project implementation.

Grantees shall follow state and federal law and procedures when awarding and administering contracts, subgrants or Notices of Subgrants of financial assistance to local governments and other vendors. Grantees shall:

• Ensure that every contract, subgrant or Notice of Subgrant includes clauses required by state and federal statute and executive orders and their implanting regulations.
• Ensure that contractors, subgrantees or Notice of Subgrant recipients are aware of requirements imposed upon them by state and federal statute and regulation.
• Ensure that a provisions for compliance with 49 CFR part 18.42 is placed in every cost reimbursement contract, subgrant or Notice of Subgrant.
• Ensure that procedures are established for routine monitoring and auditing of contracts, subgrants or Notices of Subgrants.
• In accordance with 2 CFR §200.332(b), a Pre-Award Risk Assessment must be completed before establishing subgrants, evaluating each subrecipient's risk of noncompliance with Federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of the subaward for purposes of determining the appropriate subrecipient monitoring. Review factors should include:
  • The subrecipient's prior experience;
  • The results of previous audits;
  • Whether the subrecipient has new personnel or new or substantially changed systems; and
  • The extent and results of federal and state awarding agency monitoring.

The sponsoring agency is ultimately responsible for delivery of the activities in the application and finances. Contractors, subgrantees and Notice of Subgrant recipients should keep the sponsoring agency informed of any changes needed to the project deliverables, budget, etc.

A copy of the agreement between the sponsoring agency and the contractor, subgrantee or Notice of Subgrant recipient must be submitted to PennDOT for review prior to the contractor, subgrantee or Notice of Subgrant recipient incurring any cost.

Purchases over $500 require PennDOT preapproval even if they are approved in the initial proposed budget.

Single item purchases in excess of $10,000, the hiring of personnel, and out-of-state travel will require substantial justification and preapproval.

​Purchases over $500 require PennDOT preapproval even if they are approved in the initial proposed budget. An Equipment Inventory form must be submitted for any items with a useful life of more than one year. Purchases for items over $10,000 will require substantial justification, as well as prior approval from NHTSA, and are to be included in the budget of the approved grant proposal.

With a cost-reimbursement grant, the grantee must pay 100 percent of all costs associated with the grant award. Reimbursement claims are submitted to PennDOT, reviewed for eligibility, and forwarded to the Office of Comptroller Operations and PA Treasury for processing. No payments in advance or in anticipation of goods or services will be made by PennDOT.

​Examples of allowable costs include:

• Implementation of strategies to address traffic safety problems
  
• Public education campaigns
• Equipment and materials
• Training and travel directly related to project goals

• Costs that do not fall within appropriate state and federal funding regulations.
  
• Funds for office furniture, gifts, alcohol, entertainment, roadway construction, or roadway maintenance.
• Supplanting—using funds to replace routine or existing State and local expenditures or using these funds to conduct activities required by statute.
• If it is discovered by PennDOT that grant funds were spent on unallowable items, the grantee agency will be responsible to reimburse the department.

Tracking reports are submitted through the eGrants system.