Virginia Highway Safety Office (VAHSO) Grant Program

The Virginia Highway Safety Office (VAHSO) administers an annual grant program using pass-through funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to support traffic safety initiatives across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This program is designed to align with Virginia’s overarching transportation safety objective: reducing deaths and serious injuries resulting from traffic crashes. The initiative provides resources to implement projects that address key traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, occupant protection, speeding, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and aggressive driving. Eligible applicants for VAHSO funding include local governments, law enforcement agencies, state agencies, academic institutions, and private nonprofit organizations. This inclusivity ensures that a broad range of stakeholders can contribute to enhancing roadway safety in Virginia. Projects submitted for funding consideration must demonstrate a clear alignment with the state’s safety priorities and illustrate a measurable potential impact on traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. To maintain accountability and strategic use of public funds, VAHSO evaluates applications using a robust set of criteria. These include the anticipated impact of the proposed intervention, supporting crash data and statistics, the seriousness of identified problems, the applicant’s track record with previous VAHSO grants, and the value proposition of the funding request in relation to the severity of the traffic safety issue being addressed. All applicants are required to attend a mandatory workshop before submitting their applications, ensuring they are familiar with program requirements and expectations. The grant funding period runs annually from October 1 through September 30. VAHSO typically opens its annual request for applications on January 31, with a firm submission deadline of February 28. All applications must be submitted electronically, and access to the application system is provided through a VAHSO program manager. This electronic submission process ensures efficiency, consistency, and ease of data management throughout the grant cycle. Additional guidance, including detailed application instructions and access to the mandatory pre-application workshop, can be obtained by contacting a VAHSO program manager. This early engagement step is critical, as it is a prerequisite for eligibility. The program does not currently provide public details about the total funding available or maximum/minimum grant sizes, which suggests these elements may be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on project scope and statewide priorities. The program is recurring annually, indicating continued opportunities for eligible Virginia-based organizations to apply in future cycles.