2022 FAA Aviation Workforce Development Grant (For Pilots and Technicians) Now Accepting Applications 

To invest in and build a future workforce in aviation, the FAA is providing two grants to academia and the aviation community to inspire, recruit, and prepare a diverse, inclusive pool of pilots and maintenance technicians.

These grants, total $10 million and are authorized through fiscal year 2023. The Aircraft Pilots Workforce Development Grants is geared to educating pilots, aerospace engineers or uncrewed aircraft systems operators, and the Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grants for aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs).  

This is the second year that the FAA is providing the Aviation Workforce Development (AWD) Grant. As mentioned previously, these grants are not available to individuals per established legislation, only to academia and aviation organizations, in amounts ranging from $25,000 to $500,000 per fiscal year. The FAA is hosting a pre-application technical assistance (TA) webinar via Zoom on Wednesday, May 11, from 2-4pm Eastern Time to assist those interested in applying.   

The Space Grant Consortium which has a participating memberhip in all 50 states across the USA, were recipients of an AWD in 2021 and used the funding to support Aviation Pathways Programs. These programs entailed providing youth, through a scholarship application process, the opportunity to receive an immersive experience in conjunction with participating collaborators (aviation colleges/universities and private flight schools), which culminated in 10 hours of flight instruction with the potential to solo. The deadline for both Pilot and Maintenance applications is 10th June 2022.    

FMI: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang/grants/awd, https://spacegrant.org