| February/March 2013
I. Announcements, News, and Blogs II. Research Findings and Reports IV. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment VI. Intergenerational Activities VII. Funding Opportunities and Resources VIII. 2013 Calendars of Events and Call for Abstracts I. Announcements, News, and Blogs Health and Aging Policy Overview and Call for Applications Unique Professional Opportunity We are seeking dynamic, passionate individuals who are committed to addressing the critical health and aging policy issues that we face today. This program is designed to build a cadre of leaders whose contributions to policymaking will enhance the lives of older Americans for decades to come. With professional backgrounds across the spectrum of disciplines and career pathways in geriatrics, gerontology and aging services and armed with the Program’s extensive training and direct experiences in U.S. health policymaking, Health and Aging Policy Fellows go on to play key roles in the design and implementation of healthcare policy. We invite you to explore the possibility of joining this cadre of leaders in the field. Attached is the Call for Applications Announcement 2013-14. Please visit our website (www.healthandagingpolicy.org) or contact Associate Director, Dr Kathleen Pike (kmp2@columbia.edu) for more information. Deadline: April 15, 2013. Green Heart: Will you be mine? By Aaron Ferster As a husband and the father of two girls, I am a big fan of Valentine’s Day. The cards. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. Flowers. Maybe even an evening glass of bubbly (or two) once the kids are in bed. Looking around the crowded metro car on my way to work this morning, it was obvious I’m not the only one. More than a few folks were carrying bouquets, or boxes filled with velvet-icing-topped cupcakes. And everyone was wearing red. It’s no wonder that public health organizations across the country have picked February—the month marked by Valentine’s Day—to make wearing red a reminder of the importance of heart health. American Heart Month is a call to action to raise awareness about what we all can do to prevent heart disease, the country’s number one cause of death for men and women. There is a growing awareness of several simple, important steps we can take in that regard: don’t smoke, get regular exercise, and watch our diets. EPA researchers and their partners have illuminated links between environmental factors, specifically air pollution, and heart disease. Theirs’ and others’ studies show that exposure to air pollution can trigger heart attacks and strokes, especially for those people with cardiovascular disease. To help spread the work about these findings and actions people can take to lower their health risks, EPA recently launched the Green Heart initiative. For example, one important action is to regularly check the Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast for your community. AQI is EPA’s color-coded tool for showing air quality, illustrating how clean or polluted your local air is. It also provides recommendations for steps to reduce your exposure, such as:
While the Agency, states and tribes are taking actions to reduce air pollution by moving ahead with stronger emission controls on vehicles and industry and more protective air quality standards, there are steps people can take to reduce their own risks from air pollution. Helping spread the word about what we can do to promote a healthier environment for our own hearts and those of our loved ones is a perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. While I won’t skip picking up a box of chocolate on the way home, next year I think I’ll wear green! About the Author: Aaron Ferster is the science writer for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and the editor of “It All Starts with Science.” Learn more! Green Heart Initiative at http://www.epa.gov/greenheart/. http://blog.epa.gov/science/2013/02/green-heart-will-you-be-mine/ II. Research Findings and Reports Long-term Exposure to PM2.5 and Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction Jaime Madrigano, Itai Kloog, Robert Goldberg, Brent A. Coull, Murray A. Mittleman, and Joel Schwartz Background: A number of studies have shown associations between chronic exposure to particulate air pollution and increased mortality, particularly from cardiovascular disease, but fewer studies have examined the association between long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution and specific cardiovascular events, such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Objective: We examined how long-term exposure to area particulate matter affects the onset of AMI, and we distinguished between area and local pollutants. Methods: Building on the Worcester Heart Attack Study, an ongoing community-wide investigation examining changes over time in myocardial infarction incidence in greater Worcester, Massachusetts, we conducted a case–control study of 4,467 confirmed cases of AMI diagnosed between 1995 and 2003 and 9,072 matched controls selected from Massachusetts resident lists. We used a prediction model based on satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements to generate both exposure to particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) at the area level (10 × 10 km) and the local level (100 m) based on local land use variables. We then examined the association between area and local particulate pollution and occurrence of AMI. Conclusions: Residential exposure to PM2.5 may best be represented by a combination of area and local PM2.5, and it is important to consider spatial gradients within a single metropolitan area when examiningthe relationship between particulate matter exposure and cardiovascular events. Full article Road Traffic Noise and Diabetes Long-Term Exposure May Increase Disease Risk Noise is an environmental stressor that stimulates the body’s sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis, leading to increased blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol. Past research has associated exposure to traffic noise with cardiovascular disease, and the mechanisms of action hypothesized to underlie this association suggest that noise may also increase diabetes risk. Investigators now report that long term exposure to residential road traffic noise was, in fact, associated with increased diabetes incidence in a Danish cohort [EHP 121(2):217–222; Sørensen et al.]. Hunger and Nutrition in America: What’s at Stake for Children, Families and Older Adults A report by Generations United The needs of our bookend generations are acute. Nearly a fifth of our country’s children (almost 16.7 million) live in households where they lack consistent access to enough nutritious food for a healthy life. About 4.5 million (one in 12) adults age 60 and older are now at risk of hunger or food insecure. Using an expanded measure, nearly 8.3 million (one in seven) older adults are, at times, anxious about whether they will have enough to eat. These disturbing trends cannot be ignored in today’s America. Black–White Blood Pressure Disparities: Depressive Symptoms and Differential Vulnerability to Blood Lead Full article Abstract: Background: Blacks have higher hypertension rates than whites, but the reasons for these disparities are unknown. Differential vulnerability, through which stress alters vulnerability to the effects of environmental hazards, is an emergent notion in environmental health that may contribute to these disparities. Objectives: We examined whether blacks and whites exhibit different associations between blood lead (BPb) and blood pressure (BP) and whether depressive symptoms may play a role. Methods: Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2008, we regressed BP on the three-way interaction among race/ethnicity, BPb, and depressive symptoms in blacks and whites ≥ 20 years of age. Results: Blacks but not whites showed a positive association between BPb and systolic blood pressure (SBP). The disparity in this association between blacks and whites appeared to be specific to the high depressive symptoms group. In the low depressive symptoms group, there was no significant black–white disparity. However, of those with high depressive symptoms, blacks and whites had 5.6 mmHg (95% CI: 2.0, 9.2) and 1.2 mmHg (95% CI: –0.5, 2.9) increases in SBP, respectively, in association with each doubling of BPb. The pattern of results was similar for diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions: Our results suggest that depressive symptoms may contribute to the black–white disparity in the association between BPb and BP. Depressive symptoms may result, in part, from psychosocial stress. Our results support the notion that stress increases vulnerability to the health effects of environmental hazards and suggest that stress-related vulnerability may be an important determinant of racial/ethnic health disparities. Background: Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are persistent, synthetic industrial chemicals. Perfluorinated compounds are linked to health impacts that may be relevant to osteoarthritis, cartilage repair, and inflammatory responses. Objectives: We investigated whether PFOA and PFOS exposures are associated with prevalence of osteoarthritis, and whether associations differ between men and women. Methods: We used multiple logistic regression to estimate associations between serum PFOA and PFOS concentrations and self-reported diagnosis of osteoarthritis in persons 20-84 years of age who participated in NHANES from 2003-2008. We adjusted for potential confounders including age, income, and race/ethnicity. Effects by gender were estimated using stratified models and interaction terms. Results: Those in the highest exposure quartile had higher odds of osteoarthritis compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR for PFOA = 1.55; 95% CI: 0.99, 2.43; OR for PFOS = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.96). When stratifying by gender, we found positive associations for women, but not men. Women in the highest quartiles of PFOA and PFOS exposure had higher odds of osteoarthritis compared to those in the lowest quartiles (OR for PFOA = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.24, 3.19) and (OR for PFOS = 1.73; 95% CI: 0.97, 3.10). Conclusions: Higher concentrations of serum PFOA were associated with osteoarthritis in women, but not men. PFOS was also associated with osteoarthritis in women only, though effect estimates for women were not significant. More research is needed to clarify potential differences in susceptibility between women and men with regard to possible effects of these and other endocrine disrupting chemicals. Citation: Uhl SA, James-Todd T, Bell ML. Environ Health Perspect (): .doi:10.1289/ehp.1205673 Managing the Health Effects of Temperature in Response to Climate Change: Challenges Ahead Abstract: Background: Although many studies have shown that high temperatures are associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity, there has been little research on managing the process of planned adaptation to alleviate the health effects of heat events and climate change. In particular, economic evaluation of public health adaptation strategies has been largely absent from both the scientific literature and public policy discussion. Objectives: This paper aims to discuss how public health organizations should implement adaptation strategies, and how to improve the evidence base for policies to protect health from heat events and climate change. Discussion: Public health adaptation strategies to cope with heat events and climate change fall into two categories: reducing the heat exposure and managing the health risks. Strategies require a range of actions, including timely public health and medical advice, improvements to housing and urban planning, early warning systems, and the assurance that health care and social systems are ready to act. Some of these actions are costly, and the implementation should be based on the cost-effectiveness analysis given scarce financial resources. Therefore, research is required not only on the temperature-related health costs, but also on the costs and benefits of adaptation options. The scientific community must ensure that the health co-benefits of climate change policies are recognized, understood and quantified. Conclusions: The integration of climate change adaptation into current public health practice is needed to ensure they increase future resilience. The economic evaluation of temperature-related health costs and public health adaptation strategies are particularly important for policy decisions. Citation: Huang C, Barnett AG, Xu Z, Chu C, Wang X, Turner LR, Tong S. Environ Health Perspect (): .doi:10.1289/ehp.1206025 American Community Survey Brief: The Geographic Concentration of High-Income Households: 2007-2011 — Examines where high-income households are and which areas have the highest concentration of such households. High-income households are defined as those in the top 5 percent of the national income distribution. The statistics come from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey five-year estimates and are shown for counties and metro areas. (Scheduled for release Feb. 11.) American Community Survey Brief: Poverty Levels by Race and Ethnicity: 2007-2011 — This brief presents poverty rates by race and Hispanic origin for the United States, each state, and the District of Columbia. Poverty rates are also presented for selected detailed origin groups in the cities and towns with the largest populations of these groups. Poverty rates are summarized for American Indians and Alaska Natives, detailed Asian groups with populations of 750,000 or more, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander groups with populations of 25,000 or more and Hispanic-origin groups with populations of 1 million or more. (Scheduled for release Feb. 20.) Men in Nursing Occupations (report) and Selected Characteristics of Registered Nurses, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners, and Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses: 2011 (detailed tables) — The report presents estimates of men in each of the detailed nursing occupations using data from the 2011 American Community Survey. Furthermore, the report and accompanying detailed tables also provide estimates on a wide range of characteristics of men and women in nursing occupations. These include employment status, age, race, Hispanic origin, citizenship, educational attainment, work hours, time of departure to work, median earnings, industry and class of worker. (Scheduled for release Feb. 25.) 2010 Census Report Shows More Than 80 Percent of Centenarians are Women The 2010 Census counted 53,364 people age 100 and older in the United States, and they were overwhelmingly female. For every 100 centenarian women, there were only 20.7 centenarian men. These figures come from a special report released today based on the 2010 Census that provides a portrait of the centenarian population in the United States describing their age, sex, race, Hispanic origin and living arrangement characteristics. The report, Centenarians: 2010, also compares centenarians with other age groups in the older population. According to the report, the population 100 and older made up a small proportion of the total U.S. population — representing less than two per 10,000 people. Centenarians represented 19 per 10,000 people who were 70 and older. More than half (62.5 percent) of centenarians were age 100 or 101 while roughly 92 percent were ages 100 to 104. Supercentenarians — those ages 110 and older — represented 0.6 percent of the centenarian population. Meet EPA Scientist Robert Devlin, Ph.D. EPA scientist Dr. Robert Devlin’s main research interest is understanding the human health effects of air pollution. His research is used to characterize the effects that inhaled substances, such as air pollutants, have on human pulmonary (related to lungs and breathing) and cardiovascular (heart, lungs, and blood flow) health, and the physiological changes responsible for those effects. How does your science matter? I know my research matters because the results help set standards that protect people from real world exposures to air pollutants. As an example, we did a study a few years ago examining the lowest level of ozone that people could be safely exposed to and still be safe. Being able to conduct a study that ensures that our standards protect the public is important, and it makes you feel like your work means something. We’re also interested in figuring out what we can tell people so they can protect themselves from air pollutants if they find themselves in a place with higher air pollution levels than EPA believes is safe (Editor’s note: for more information, also see EPA’s Green Heart web page: http://www.epa.gov/greenheart/). We just completed a study , in which we found a positive relationship between taking fish oil tablets and protecting yourself against some of the effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system. How did you get to EPA? One day, I saw a job advertised within the U.S. EPA involving the effects of air pollution on people. I thought that would be a really neat thing to do because it clearly could make a difference. Doing basic research in academia is intellectually challenging but doesn’t offer the satisfaction of knowing that your work counts for something. I really enjoy what I’m doing; I’ve stayed here 27 years working in the Environmental Public Health Division of EPA. To read the full article see: III. Sustainable Communities EPA Invites Communities to Apply for Smart Growth Assistance EPA is inviting applications from communities interested in exploring barriers to smart growth and testing innovative strategies that can create healthier, more sustainable places to live, work, and play. EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) program provides technical assistance to help communities grow in ways that improve the local economy, the environment, and people’s health. The program aims to help applicants develop solutions to local challenges, such as managing stormwater, increasing transit-oriented development, and adapting to climate change, and to share those solutions with other communities. EPA will be accepting applications from tribal, local, regional, and state governments and nonprofit organizations that have partnered with a governmental entity for their request for assistance. Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2013. EPA will provide assistance to three to four communities selected from this round of applications. EPA is seeking applications in the following four categories: 1. Community Resilience to Disasters and Climate Change – Projects should aim to develop planning principles and building design guidelines that ensure future development provides communities with better protection against storms, floods, and other natural disasters. 2. Redevelopment for Job Creation – Projects should aim to support growing industries that provide quality jobs for existing residents using land use policies that direct development to existing neighborhoods, are pedestrian-friendly, allow for transit connections, and are close to businesses and public services. 3. Manufactured and Modular Homes in Sustainable Neighborhood Design – Projects should help communities that are using manufactured and modular homes to address sudden population and economic growth. These communities should provide a mix of uses and maximize existing streets and other infrastructure investments, community gathering spaces, and water and energy efficiency. 4. Medical and Social Service Facilities Siting – Projects should aim to explore planning for high-quality community service facilities, including health care centers and social services centers, in ways that support neighborhood economic development and healthy communities. Since 2005, the SGIA program has helped an array of communities from across the country on issues such as stormwater management, code revision, transit-oriented development, affordable housing, infill development, corridor planning, green building, and climate change. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) became involved with the SGIA program through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. This interagency collaboration coordinates federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more efficiently. In many cases, HUD and DOT serve on the SGIA technical assistance teams, and help identify how SGIA projects can complement and build on past and future federal investments. More information on the SGIA program and applications: http://epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov IV. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment 2013 National Take Back Day—Save the Date April 27, 2013 The DEA is planning the next National Take-Back Day on April 27, 2013. The take back day will be on the last Saturday of April from (10:00AM – 2:00PM). For more information please check the website. http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html V. Environment and the Arts 2013 Rachel Carson Poetry, Essay, Photography, Dance and Music Contest: The 7th Annual Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder Contest We are pleased to announce the 7th Annual Sense of Wonder Contest. Songwriting has been added to the categories of artistic expression. There is also a new sponsor: the Legacy Project, who joins our long-time sponsors of the contest. The deadline for entries is Monday, June 10, 2013. What Is the Contest About? The U.S. EPA, Generations United, the Dance Exchange, Rachel Carson Council, Inc., the Legacy Project and the National Center for Creative Aging announce a poetry, essay, photo, dance and songwriting contest. Entries must be from an intergenerational team of two or more persons that are not the same age– a young person and an older person. The entry should express your sense of wonder about capturing the essence of the natural environment –the sea, streams, the mountains and prairies, a sunrise or moonlight, flowers, leaves, wildlife in its habitat. We would like your team to share your love for nature through a creative project that tells a story about our precious earth. Capture what you hear, see, feel and taste as you explore and study the natural beauty. Contestants will work across generations to share through one of these distinct mediums their own interactions with and reflections about the sense of wonder of the natural environment. Dance video entries are not limited to the moving body. You can use live performers and/ or capture movement and change visible in nature: ice melting, the sun rising, bees and hummingbirds at work, caterpillars crawling, trees swaying in a breeze, an otter playing in the waves. Everyone is welcome to praise nature in a collaborative work of art. Experienced and first time poets, dancers, songwriters and video makers are encouraged to participate. Let Rachel Carson’s words inspire you. In her book The Sense of Wonder , Carson used lyrical passages about the beauty of nature and the joy of helping children develop a sense of its wonder, of curiosity, and love of nature. It was published posthumously and illustrated with wonderful nature photography. In it Ms. Carson wrote that she would endow every child with “a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.” However, “if a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” VI. Intergenerational Activities 2013 Rachel Carson Poetry, Essay, Photography, Dance and Music Contest: The 7th Annual Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder Contest We are pleased to announce the 7th Annual Sense of Wonder Contest. Songwriting has been added to the categories of artistic expression. There is also a new sponsor: the Legacy Project, who joins our long-time sponsors of the contest. The deadline for entries is Monday, June 10, 2013. VII. Funding Opportunities and Resources U.S. EPA Funding Opportunities This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals for projects that will provide key audiences with an opportunity to attain a greater understanding of Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data and other related toxic chemical information. EPA believes that an important way to promote greater awareness, understanding and use of the TRI data and other related information is to provide financial assistance for a project to increase awareness of that information among new audiences and through new avenues. Deadline: March 1, 2013. The purpose of the program is to evaluate housing factors that are energy efficient and have the potential to mitigate the negative health outcomes of low income children with asthma. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2020” focus areas of homes and communities and respiratory diseases. Deadline: March 13, 2013. Full Announcement This funding opportunity is aimed at facilitating research to develop a cause-specific school absentee monitoring system for the early detection of influenza in the wider community. Deadline: March 7, 2013. Full Announcement New– Healthy Homes Technical Studies Program Purpose: To fund technical studies to improve existing methods for detecting and controlling key housing-related health and safety hazards; to develop new methods to detect and control these hazards; and to improve our knowledge of key housing-related health and safety hazards. The overall goal of the Healthy Homes Technical Studies program is to gain knowledge to improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of methods for evaluation and control of housing-related health and safety hazards. This also supports HUD’s Strategic Goal to utilize housing as a platform for improving the quality of life and health outcomes for those living in HUD-assisted and HUD-regulated housing, and the associated policy priority to build inclusive and sustainable communities by improving the health of community residents while reducing the impact of communities on the environment. Original Closing Date for Applications: Mar 19, 2013 HUD will issue a technical correction to this NOFA if appropriations are enacted that require HUD to modify the funding criteria or application requirements, or if HUD determines that adjustments to estimated award amounts or timelines are necessary. Any such technical correction will provide detailed instructions for applicants to permit them to resubmit the application to address the revised NOFA requirements. Full Announcement New– Fiscal Year 2013 Pollution Prevention Grant Program The Pollution Prevention Grant Program supports State and Tribal technical assistance programs which help businesses identify better environmental strategies and solutions for reducing or eliminating waste at the source. EPA anticipates it will award approximately $4.1 million in total program funding during Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. Grants will be awarded and managed by each of EPA’s ten Regional Pollution Prevention Program Offices. Grant awards are dependent on Congressional appropriation and the quality of proposals received. Deadline: March 14, 2013. New- National Tribal Air Association Operations This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities to provide comprehensive air quality policy and regulatory analysis including support and national coordination activities to assist tribes in understanding, participating in and responding to EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation’s policy and regulatory activities. EPA anticipates awarding up to one cooperative agreement from this announcement, subject to availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations. Deadline: April 1, 2013. New- RFP for the Pollution Prevention Information Network Grant Program Pollution Prevention Information Network (PPIN) grant program seeks to improve development and dissemination of P2 information by funding regional P2 information centers. These centers serve state, tribal, and local government needs in addition to providing P2 information directly to businesses. The regional centers collaborate and coordinate on P2 information development and dissemination activities nationally in order to decrease duplication of effort and promote efficiency. Information and training are used to assist businesses in identifying better environmental strategies for reducing or eliminating waste and conserving natural resources. Grantees of this program have created a national network called the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx) which provides information and services on their websites. Other Funding Opportunities Section 151(a) of the DD Act of 2000 states that appropriations authorized under section 156(a) (1) of the DD Section 151(a) of the DD Act of 2000 states that appropriations authorized under section 156(a)(1) of the DD Act shall be used to make five-year grants to entities in each State designated as UCEDDs to carry out the four core functions of interdisciplinary pre-service preparation and continuing education, community services, research and information dissemination. Entities eligible to apply for funds under this program announcement are the 17 current AIDD grantees that are designated UCEDDs whose five-year funding will end on June 30, 2013. Application is limited to the 17 entities referenced in the Description. See the list below for eligible UCEDDs. 1) Children’s Hospital Corporation – Massachusetts 2) Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centers 3) University of Alaska Anchorage – College of Health & Social Welfare 4) University of Connecticut Health Center 5) University of Guam 6) University of Hawaii 7) University of Illinois at Chicago 8) University of Iowa 9) University of Kentucky, Research Foundation 10) University of Maine, Office of Research & Sponsor Programs 11) University of Minnesota 12) University of Nevada – Reno 13) University of Oregon, College of Education 14) University of Puerto Rico 15) University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences 16) University of Vermont 17) Virginia Commonwealth University Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement. Deadline: March 6, 2013. Funding Opportunity New—CDC: PPHF 2013 OSTLTS Partnerships Building Capacity of the Public Health System to Improve Population Health through National, Nonprofit Organizations Financed in Part by 2013 Prevention and Public Health Funds Full AnnouncementThe purpose of this program is to ensure the provision of CBA for governmental and nongovernmental components of the public health system to optimize the quality and performance of public health systems, the public health workforce, public health data and information systems, public health practice and services, public health partnerships, and public health resources. Deadline: March 7, 2013. New– 2013 Assuring Radiation Protection Since 1968, FDA has taken the lead in working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its predecessor organizations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to provide financial support for a forum established to foster the exchange of ideas and information among the States and the Federal Government concerning radiation control. This forum has made it possible for State and Federal agencies to work together to study existing and potential radiological health problems of mutual interest and to apply their increasingly limited resources with maximum efficiency in seeking ways to address these problems, foster coordination and provide original views. For the full version of the RFA FD-13-002 please contact Gladys Bohler at 301-827-7175 or gladys.bohler@fda.hhs.gov Deadline: April 2, 2013. New- DoD Injury Prevention, Physiological and Environmental Health Award Full Announcement The DMRDP, IPPEHA expects to fund between three (3) and five (5) applications in response to this solicitation, depending on the quality and number of applications received and the total cost of applications approved for funding. Funding of applications received in response to this Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity is contingent upon the availability of Federal funds for this Program. An estimated $6M in FY13 funds are available to fund the first year of performance of successful proposals. Adequate funds to support the remaining years of performance are expected to become available through the DMRDP in future years. The Government reserves the right to increase or decrease the approximately $6M available to support awards. This Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity is focused on specific research topics of injury prevention, physiological health, and environmental health and protection as outlined in Section B. Investigators must demonstrate logical reasoning and a sound scientific rationale established through a critical review and analysis of the literature for the proposal to be competitive. Deadline: April 26, 2013. New Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01) Purpose. To encourage behavioral and social science research on the causes and solutions to health and disabilities disparities in the U. S. population. Health disparities between, on the one hand, racial/ethnic populations, lower socioeconomic classes, and rural residents and, on the other hand, the overall U.S. population are major public health concerns. Emphasis is placed on research in and among three broad areas of action: 1) public policy, 2) health care, and 3) disease/disability prevention. Particular attention is given to reducing health gaps among groups. Proposals that utilize an interdisciplinary approach, investigate multiple levels of analysis, incorporate a life-course perspective, and/or employ innovative methods such as system science or community-based participatory research are particularly encouraged. Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism and runs in parallel with an FOA of identical scientific scope, PAR-10-137, that encourages applications under the R21. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Deadline: May 11, 2013 NSF- Water Sustainability and Climate One of the most urgent challenges facing the world today is to ensure an adequate supply and quality of water in light of both burgeoning human needs and increasing climate variability and change. Despite the importance of water to life on Earth, there are major gaps in our basic understanding of water availability, quality and dynamics, and the impact of both human activity and a changing and variable climate on the water system. The goal of the Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) solicitation is to enhance the understanding and predict the interactions between the water system and land use changes (including agriculture, managed forest and rangeland systems), the built environment, ecosystem function and services and climate change/variability through place-based research and integrative models. Successful proposals are expected to study water systems in their entirety and to enable a new interdisciplinary paradigm in water research. Proposals that do not broadly integrate across the biological sciences, geosciences, engineering, and social sciences may be returned without review. Projects supported under this solicitation may establish new observational sites or utilize existing observational sites and facilities already supported by NSF (National Science Foundation) or other federal and state agencies (e.g. USGS (US Geological Survey), USEPA (US Environmental Protection Agency), USDA/ARS/FS (US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Station/Forest Service), NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)). See also specific guidance on the collection of new data for each category. Deadline: September 10, 2013. AHRQ Individual Awards for Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) National Research Service Awards Deadline: November 8, 2012- December 8, 2015. Juvenile Protective Factors and Their Effects on Aging (R01) Deadline: June 5, 2013. VIII. 2013 Calendar International Year of Water Cooperation The International Year of Statistics February 2013 American Heart Disease Awareness Month National Poison Prevention Month Association of Gerontology in Higher Education February 28 – March 3, 2013. St. Petersburg, FL March 2013 Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting National Groundwater Week World Glaucoma Week American Society on Aging World Water Day April 2013 |
