In an ongoing effort to promote overall prevention of housing related health and safety hazards, such as recognizing and controlling lead-based paint, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is now offering up to seven grants in the total sum of $2.5 million, according to RISMedia.

These grants are to be made available through two programs, the: Lead Technical Studies Grant Program, and Healthy Homes Technical Studies Grant Program.

The Lead Technical Studies Grant Program will promote research through the provision of two awards with a total of $500,000.

The Healthy Homes Technical Studies Grant Program will be awarding three to five grants, for a total sum of $2 million, with a focus on developing and improving low-cost methods connected to housing-related hazards. Another goal this program aims to achieve is to study the relationship between a given population’s housing with injury and illness.

Both programs have an application due date of June 30, 2011.

As part of the Healthy Homes Initiative, these programs place emphasis on children’s health.