The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education (SW Ag Center) supports the Pilot/Feasibility Program (PFP) to promote health and safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) occupations.
The goals of this program are to:
- Identify and mentor new/junior researchers to conduct innovative research, intervention, and translation projects in AgFF worker safety/health.
- Support projects that provide data for innovative approaches to improve AgFF occupational safety and health that justify further research.
- Promote mentoring relationships between junior and established scientists to build capacity for AgFF occupational safety and health careers.
The SW Ag Center (U54OH007541) is one of twelve Centers currently funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The SW Ag Center serves U.S. Public Health Service Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX). https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/agctrhom.html
Eligibility
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- Junior investigators interested in gaining research experience in AgFF occupational safety or health.
- Graduate students, medical residents and interns, or postdoctoral fellows.
- Faculty members of any rank who are interested in exploring an AgFF research question.
- Applications from student investigators and other scientists new to the field of agricultural occupational safety and health are strongly encouraged.
- Team science approaches are encouraged.
Programmatic Interest
PFP projects should have a well-defined, narrow scope with achievable goals. NIOSH has established the following priority areas for AgFF. (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/agff/)
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- Reduce occupational neurologic disorders and renal disease stemming from pesticide exposure.
- Reduce occupational infectious and dermal disease to pesticides and total body burden.
- Reduce occupational musculoskeletal disorders, which are soft-tissue injuries caused by sudden or sustained exposure to repetitive motion, force, vibration, and awkward positions.
- Reduce occupational respiratory diseases including fixed airway diseases such as COPD and obliterative bronchiolitis.
- Improve workplace safety to reduce traumatic injuries among high-risk populations.
- Promote safe and healthy work design for workers in precarious employment arrangements, and reduce injuries and illnesses related to work design, fatigue, and mental health.
Priority will be given to proposals addressing the above topics as well as mental and behavioral health, extreme weather/climate change, migrant/immigrant workers, nanomaterial hazards, PFAS chemical hazards, avian flu, fatigue, shift work, and heat stress. Other topics related to improving the safety and health of AgFF workers will be considered. All proposed projects must respond to the goals of the National Occupational Research Agenda for AgFF and the goals must be explicitly stated in the proposal. To review the National Occupational Research Agenda – AgFF visit https://www.cdc.gov/nora/councils/agff/research.html.
Traditional Award
- Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
- Notice of Award: July 31, 2024
- Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2024
- Number of Awards: Up to 2
- Duration of Award: 12 months
- Award Amount: up to $20,000
Short Term Award (when funding is available)
- Application Deadline: February 16, 2024
- Anticipated Start Date: April 1, 2024
- Duration of Award: 6-8 months
- Award Amount: up to $10,000
Additional Award Information
- Funds are awarded considering the scientific merit of the proposal, fit with the SW Ag Center mission and priority areas, and the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda for AgFF.
- The cap for indirect costs is 8%.
- Equipment purchased for the project vests to the institution sponsoring the project.
- PIs will receive review comments and a funding decision by the end of July for traditional awards and the end of March for short-term awards
Expectations of Applicant
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- Documentation of IRB (or animal protections) approval must be provided within 45 days of award.
- Successful applicants will provide an oral progress report three months after the project start date.
- A final status report will be due 60 days after the project end date:
- Findings/results in the form of a manuscript for a peer-reviewed publication.
- List of planned grant applications based on pilot study data.
- List of manuscript(s) based on pilot study data and journals to receive manuscripts.
- The final financial status (invoice) report will be due 60 days after the end of the approved project budget period.
- Investigators will be required to present their project at the Southwest Centers Occupational Health Research Symposium held annually in July.
- The investigator must acknowledge support from the NIOSH SW Ag Center in all publications and presentations resulting from the award. Language will be provided in the award letter.
- One year after the project end date, the PI will complete a report documenting grant and manuscript submission(s) using project data.
- Progress of awardees will be tracked for 3 years.
Contact
Please contact Kevin Moore, PhD at or by phone to 405-744-8423 to indicate your intent to submit an application or for any questions you have related to the application. For additional information about the SW Ag Center visit: www.swagcenter.org.
Feasibility Study Submission Instructions