NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH 

AND TRAINING PROGRAM

ANNUAL REPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2015

Prepared by the Office of Extramural Programs | National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH 

AND TRAINING PROGRAM

ANNUAL REPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2015

Prepared by the Office of Extramural Programs | National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Cover images are by ©Thinkstock.
NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH 

AND TRAINING PROGRAM

ANNUAL REPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2015

Prepared by the Office of Extramural Programs | National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Prepared by the Office of Extramural Programs 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Sarah A. Felknor, DrPH; Peter Grandillo, MBA; and Donjanea F. Williams, EdD

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
ii NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

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SUGGESTED CITATION

NIOSH [2017]. NIOSH extramural research and training program annual report of fiscal 

year 2015. Felknor SA, Grandillo P, Williams DF. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2017-195.

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2017-195

July 2017

Total Worker Health® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services.
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 iii

FOREWORD

I am pleased to deliver the FY2015 annual report of activity of the extramural research and 

training program of NIOSH. These data reflect the exceptional work of the extramural community of researchers supported by NIOSH and the Office of Extramural Programs.

This report details the investment NIOSH made during the fiscal year to our multidisciplinary 

centers, investigator-initiated research projects, and cooperative research agreements. Funding 

is also described for our training project grants, state surveillance programs, small business 

innovation research, and global health initiatives. This report does not include data on the 

grants program associated with the World Trade Center Health Program.

An analysis of funding and activity is provided by the NORA program area along with a 

review of integrated research activity for each of the NORA sector strategic goals. Hyperlinks 

to the NIOSH website have been embedded throughout the report, providing instant access 

to additional relevant data and information. The appendices provide additional data on the 

highlights of FY2015 and include a summary of the public health relevance and impact of our 

extramural portfolio.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the scientific program officials of the Office of Extramural Programs in compiling this report, along with the contributions of student interns from 

Project IMHOTEP, an 11-week summer internship supported by a cooperative agreement 

between Morehouse College’s Public Health Sciences Institute and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention that is designed to increase the number of college students entering 

into graduate programs, and to encourage careers in public health.

John Howard, MD

Director, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
iv NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In FY2015, NIOSH awarded $96,774,267 in extramural funding, a decrease of $933,859 from 

the previous year. A total of 183 awards were made during the fiscal year, and the success rate 

for investigator-initiated research grants was 12%. 

Multidisciplinary centers received a total of $52,779,439 (54%) and 33 awards in the following 

program areas: 

■ $26.9 million for 18 Education and Research Centers (ERCs)

■ $15.2 million for 10 Agriculture Safety and Health Centers (Ag Centers)

■ $5.8 million for 1 CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training

■ $4.9 million for 4 Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce

Investigator-initiated and career development research received a total of $27,019,595 (28%) 

and 82 awards. Cooperative research agreements made up $10,687,931 (11%) of the extramural portfolio, with 38 awards. Specialty training programs received a total of $5,612,480 

(6%) with 28 awards and $674,822 (1%) for two small business innovation research projects. 

Funding for global health initiatives included a cooperative agreement with the World Health 

Organization (WHO) for $249,993 to support the Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health 

to strengthen the capacities of national health systems to respond to the specific health needs 

of workers. 

NIOSH continued its long-standing support of global occupational health research and 

training through cosponsorship of the NIH Fogarty International Center Global Environmental and Occupational Health Hubs to support the development of institutions in low- or 

middle-income countries that serve as regional hubs for collaborative research and training 

around high priority environmental and occupational health threats. 

In FY2015, NIOSH extramural researchers reported 472 peer-reviewed publications in 234 

journals. The largest number of publications resulted from investigator-initiated R01 research 

(150), followed by ERCs (140). The journal most frequently published in by NIOSH researchers was Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD. . 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. .

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. . 

List of Figures . .

List of Tables . .

I. NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING PORTFOLIO. 

National Occupational Research Agenda .

NIOSH Program Areas .

II. NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH ACTIVITY. 

Summary of All Awards by Type of Funding .

Extramural Research Portfolio FY2015 .

Multidisciplinary Centers .

Investigator-initiated Research .

Cooperative Agreements .

Specialty Training Programs . 

Small Business Innovation Research . 

Extramural Research Activity by NIOSH Program Area . 

Success Rates for Research Project Grants in FY2007–FY2015 . 

R01 Success Rates . 

R03 Success Rates . 

R21 Success Rates . 

III. RESEARCH INTEGRATION IN FY2015. .

Integrated Research Activity by Sector Strategic Goals, FY2015 . 

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing . 

Healthcare and Social Assistance . 

Manufacturing . 

Mining . 

Oil and Gas Extraction . 

Public Safety . 

Services . 

Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities . 

Wholesale and Retail Trade . 

IV. FY2015 EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES. .

Summary of Peer-reviewed Publications for FY2015 . 

V. APPENDICES. .

APPENDIX 1: NIOSH Funding Opportunity Announcements 

by Mechanism, FY2015 . 

APPENDIX 2: FY2015 Extramural Portfolio Highlights . 

A. Multidisciplinary Centers . 

B. Investigator-initiated Research . 

C. Cooperative Research Agreements . 
vi NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

SECTOR PROGRAMS

ALL All Sectors or Multiple Sectors

AgFF Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing

CON Construction

HSA Healthcare and Social Assistance

MNF Manufacturing

MIN Mining

MIO Oil and Gas Extraction

SPS Public Safety

SRV Services

WRT Wholesale and Retail Trade

TWU Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. NIOSH extramural grant distribution, FY2015. 

Figure 2. Multidisciplinary center awards, FY2015  

Figure 3. Cooperative agreements, FY2015  

Figure 4. Research funding by sector program in FY2015. .

Figure 5. Overall success rates for research project 

grants (R01, R03, and R21), FY2007–FY2015. .

Figure 6. Success rates for R01 applications, FY2007–FY2015. .

Figure 7. Success rates for R03 applications, FY2007–FY2015. .

Figure 8. Success rates for R21 applications, FY2007–FY2015. .

Figure 9. Integration of NIOSH Research Goals by Sector, FY2015. .

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. NIOSH Program Areas. 

Table 2. Summary of all awards by type of funding in FY2015. 

Table 3. Investigator-initiated research funding, FY2015. 

Table 4. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector research 

by strategic goal, FY2015 . 

Table 5. Construction Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 6. Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector research 

by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 7. Manufacturing Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 8. Mining Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 9. Oil and Gas Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 vii

Table 10. Public Safety Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 11. Services Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 12. Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector research by

strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 13. Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector research by strategic goal, FY2015. .

Table 14. Number of publications by funding type, FY2015. .
PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 1

I. NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH 

AND TRAINING PORTFOLIO

The NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Programs represent a diverse portfolio of 

multidisciplinary research and training centers, investigator-initiated research, mentored 

research scientist development awards, training project grants, and small business innovation 

research projects in occupational safety and health. State surveillance programs and global 

occupational health initiatives complement the breadth and depth of extramural research and 

training at NIOSH. A description of these programs can be found at the Research and Training 

Portfolio webpage. Extramural funding opportunity announcements are published in the NIH 

Guide for Grants and Contracts, and are also available under “Funding Opportunities” on the 

NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Programs webpage. Please see Appendix 1 for a list 

of all the NIOSH Funding Opportunity Announcements published in FY2015.

NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL RESEARCH AGENDA

The extramural research portfolio is organized into priority areas in occupational safety and 

health as described in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), a stakeholder-driven research agenda designed to stimulate research and address the most pressing needs 

in workplace safety and health in the United States. Unveiled in 1996, NORA involves diverse 

parties collaborating with NIOSH to identify the most critical issues in workplace safety and 

health. These partners work together to develop goals and objectives to address specific, recognized needs through innovative research and subsequent research to practice (r2p) actions. 

This r2p focus is integrated into the breadth of NIOSH funded research activities. In order to 

achieve this, NIOSH works with partners to focus research on developing effective products, 

translating research findings into practice, targeting dissemination efforts, and evaluating the 

effectiveness of these efforts in improving worker safety and health. More information on the 

NIOSH r2p program can be obtained via the Research to Practice webpage.

In FY2015, the NIOSH program portfolio was organized around the Second Decade of NORA 

structure, which consists of 10 NORA sector programs and 24 cross-sector programs and 

includes adverse health and non-health outcomes, statutory programs, and global efforts. Each 

program area sets priorities for NIOSH work in the sector, monitors NIOSH-funded projects 

related to its sector, and encourages new NIOSH projects to address sector priorities. More 

information about these program areas and research priorities can be found by clicking on 

the program names in Table 1. 
2 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

NIOSH PROGRAM AREAS

Table 1. NIOSH Program Areas

NIOSH Sector Program Areas

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Oil and Gas Extraction

Construction Public Safety

Healthcare and Social Assistance Services

Manufacturing Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities

Mining Wholesale and Retail Trade

NIOSH Health Outcome Cross-sector Program Areas

Cancer, Reproductive and Cardiovascular Diseases Respiratory Diseases

Hearing Loss Prevention Traumatic Injury

Immune and Dermal Diseases Work Organizations and Stress Disorders

Musculoskeletal Disorders

NIOSH Non-health Outcome Cross-sector Program Areas

Authoritative Recommendations Occupational Health Disparities

Communications and Information Dissemination Personal Protective Technology

Economics Prevention Through Design

Emergency Preparedness and Response Radiation Dose Reconstruction

Engineering Controls Small Business Assistance and Outreach

Exposure Assessment Surveillance

Global Collaborations Total Worker Health®

Health Hazard Evaluation Training Grants

Nanotechnology
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 3

II. NIOSH EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH ACTIVITY

FUNDING DISTRIBUTION FY2015

In FY2015, NIOSH awarded $96,774,267 in extramural funding. The distribution of awards 

by type of activity is shown in Figure 1. Fifty-four percent (54%) of the extramural funding went to multidisciplinary centers, followed by 28% for investigator-initiated and career 

development research grants. Other cooperative research agreements made up 11% of the 

FY2015 portfolio, followed by specialty training programs (6%), and small business innovation 

research projects (1%).

Figure 1. NIOSH extramural grant distribution, FY2015

In FY2015, NIOSH made a total of 183 awards. Of these, 73 (40%) were for new projects 

while 110 (60%) were continuing awards. A summary of all the NIOSH extramural awards 

for FY2015 is shown in Table 2. Of the 183 awards made, 33 (18%) were for multidisciplinary 

research and training centers, which include Education and Research Centers, Agriculture 

Safety and Health Centers (Ag Centers), CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and 

Training, and Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce; 82 (45%) for investigator-initiated research and career development; 38 (21%) for cooperative research agreements; 

28 (15%) for training program grants; and 2 (1%) for small business innovation research. A 

searchable listing of all active awards funded by NIOSH is available on the OEP webpages.

Research and Career 

Development Grants

$27,019,595

28%

Small Business

Innovation Reseach 

$674,822

1%

Specialty 

Training 

Programs

$5,612,480

6%

Multidisciplinary 

Centers

$52,779,439

54%

Other Research 

Cooperative Agreements

$10,687,931

11%
4 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

SUMMARY OF ALL AWARDS BY TYPE OF FUNDING

Table 2. Summary of all awards by type of funding in FY2015

Award Category Award Mechanism

Number 

of Awards Funding

Multidisciplinary Centers 33 $52,779,439 

Education and Research Centers Training Grant (T42) 18 $26,949,959 

Agriculture Safety and Health Centers

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U54) 10 $15,191,482 

National Center for Construction 

Research and Training

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U60) 1 $5,750,000 

Centers of Excellence to Promote a 

Healthier Workforce

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U19) 4 $4,887,998 

Investigator-initiated Research Grants 82 $27,019,595 

Research Grants 

Investigator-initiated 

(R01, R03, R21,R13) 72 $25,944,718 

Career Developmental Research

Mentored Career 

Scientist (K01) 10 $1,074,877

Cooperative Research Agreements 38 $10,687,931

Surveillance 

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U60) 26 $6,755,989

Workers Compensation Surveillance

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U60) 2 $399,589

Agricultural, Forestry and Fishing 

Safety and Health

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U01) 8 $2,198,026 

Mesothelioma Tissue Bank

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U24) 1 $1,084,334 

World Health Organization

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (E11) 1 $249,993

Specialty Training Programs 28 $5,612,480 

Training Project Grants T01 and T03 25 $3,997,985 

Miner Safety and Health Training 

Program 

Cooperative Research 

Agreement (U60) 3 $1,614,495

Small Business Innovation Research 2 $674,822

Small Business Innovation Research Phase II (R44) 2 $674,822

Total Extramural Funding 183 $96,774,267 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 5

EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO FY2015

Multidisciplinary Centers

NIOSH funds targeted research and outreach activities through multidisciplinary centers, with 

a focus on high-risk industries that contribute disproportionately to occupational injury and 

illness in the United States. These centers are funded through a variety of grant mechanisms, 

including cooperative research agreements and center training grants. The Agriculture Safety 

and Health Centers (Ag Centers) and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and 

Training provide critical research and training into the multiple safety and health hazards in 

agriculture and construction.

Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce provide a multidisciplinary and multifactorial approach to worker health and well-being. The activities of these centers reflect a 

broader understanding of the critical relationship between work, health, and productivity.

Multidisciplinary education and research activities are carried out through a national network 

of Education and Research Centers. ERCs are university-based centers that provide graduate 

training in the core and allied fields of occupational safety and health. In addition to degree 

training, ERCs provide continuing education and outreach to the occupational safety and 

health community throughout the federal health region they serve. 
6 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Approximately $52.8 million was awarded to 33 multidisciplinary centers in FY2015. A total 

of 18 ERCs received $26.9 million, while $15.2 million was awarded to 10 Ag Centers and 

$5.8 million to CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, along with $4.9 

million that funded four Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce (see Figure 

2). A full description of each of these center portfolios, including a listing of individual center 

grants, is provided in Appendix 2.

ERCs = Education and Research Centers; AgFF = Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing; CPWR = National Center for Construction 

Research and Training; TWH= Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce

Figure 2. Multidisciplinary center awards, FY2015

$26.9

$15.2

$5.8 $4.9

$0.0

$5.0

$10.0

$15.0

$20.0

$25.0

$30.0

ERCs (n=18) AgFF (n=10) CPWR (n=1) TWH (n=4)

$52.8 Million in Funding for Center Grants in FY2015 

Millions
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 7

Investigator-initiated Research

Research Grants

The goal of the NIOSH extramural research program is to support relevant and highquality scientific investigations that will help reduce occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities. NIOSH responds to that goal by funding investigator-initiated research. These diverse 

awards include funding for large occupational safety and health research projects (R01), small 

occupational safety and health research grants (R03), and exploratory occupational safety and 

health research grants (R21). The extramural research portfolio includes research scientist 

career development awards (K01), which provide mentored training for the next generation 

of occupational safety and health scientists. These highly competitive K01 awards provide up 

to 3 years of funding and a scientific focus designed to develop the skills and productivity of 

new career scientists. A total of approximately $27 million was awarded to new and continuing research projects and mentored scientist grants in FY2015 (see Table 3). A description of 

investigator-initiated research outputs is provided in Appendix 2.

Conference Grants

NIOSH recognizes the value of supporting high-quality scientific meetings that are relevant to 

the mission of preventing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities caused by hazards in the workplace. 

Conference grants are awarded under a research grant mechanism (R13), and in FY2015, 

NIOSH funded three conference grants (see Table 3).

Table 3. Investigator-initiated research funding, FY2015 

Type of Grant

New 

Awards

New 

Funding

Continuing 

Awards

Continuing 

Funding Total Funding

R01 13 $6,104,772 35 $16,304,532 $22,409,304

R21 4 $ 864,488 10 $ 2,098,116 $2,962,604

K01 5 $ 539,952 5 $ 534,925 $1,074,877

R03 3 $ 221,404 4 $ 291,406 $512,810

R13 2 $ 40,000 1 $20,000 $60,000

Total 27 $7,770,616 55 $19,248,979 $27,019,595
8 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Cooperative Agreements

Cooperative agreements give NIOSH the ability to arrange collaborative surveillance and 

research opportunities with state health departments, universities, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations. NIOSH provides funding for a broad array of cooperative agreements to 

develop knowledge for preventing occupational diseases and injury.

Unlike grants, which are conducted independently of the sponsoring agency, cooperative 

agreements bring together the expertise of federal and nonfederal researchers to accomplish 

public health efforts that would not otherwise occur. In order for a cooperative agreement 

to be awarded, there must be a clear need for programmatic staff involvement during performance of a proposed project. An evaluation is made to determine that the cooperative 

agreement is of sufficient priority to warrant the commitment of staff resources required for 

a collaborative effort during the term of the cooperative agreement award.

Cooperative research agreements funded in FY2015 totaled $10.7 million and included 

long-standing state surveillance programs and new funding for workers’ compensation 

surveillance, along with AgFF funding to support forestry safety research, the Mesothelioma National Tissue Bank and support for the World Health Organization’s Global Health 

Program. Figure 3 shows the distribution of funding and number of cooperative 

research agreements. 

Figure 3. Cooperative agreements, FY2015 

$6.8

$0.4

$2.2

$1.1

$0.2

$0.0

$1.0

$2.0

$3.0

$4.0

$5.0

$6.0

$7.0

State Surveillance

(n=26)

Workers

Compensation

Surveillance (n=2)

AgFF (n=8) Mesothelioma

Tissue Bank (n=1)

World Health

Organization (n=1)

$10.7 Million in Funding for Cooperative Research Agreements in FY2015 

Millions
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 9

State Surveillance Program

The state surveillance program supports capacity development among states to conduct surveillance of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and it helps expand the role of states 

in conducting in-depth surveillance and follow-up through investigations and interventions. 

In FY2015, the state surveillance portfolio grew from 23 to 26 states. These NIOSH-sponsored 

programs contribute to a national occupational health surveillance strategy for identifying 

workplace injury and illness and opportunities for research and intervention. Please see the 

State Surveillance Portfolio Annual Performance Reports for more information on these statebased initiatives. See Table 2 for the total number and funding for all state surveillance awards 

(new and continuing) for FY2015.

Workers’ Compensation Surveillance 

FY2015 marked the first year of the Workers’ Compensation Surveillance Cooperative Agreement, which aims to compile, analyze, and disseminate workers’ compensation (WC) data. 

The overall goal of this collaboration is to prevent occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities 

within states and across the nation. Through these agreements, state health and WC agencies, 

along with businesses and other eligible organizations, are provided resources allowing them 

to start or expand state-based WC surveillance and interventions efforts. States will have the 

opportunity to use their data to conduct comparable surveillance and identify trends and 

emerging issues, along with high-risk occupations, industries, and worker populations. In 

FY2015, two new awards were made to the California Public Health Institute and Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing

The NIOSH Office of Agriculture Safety and Health began this research cooperative agreement 

program in FY2014 to accomplish the following: 

■ Further the understanding of risks and conditions associated with forestry- or logging-related occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

■ Explore methods for reducing risks and for preventing or minimizing exposure to 

hazardous conditions in these work environments.

■ Translate significant scientific findings into prevention practices and products that 

will effectively reduce work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in this area. 

In addition, the cooperative agreement program aims to enhance knowledge about the effectiveness of existing interventions and the best ways to disseminate, diffuse, and translate 

proven interventions to benefit workers in this sector—in particular the ability to address the 

unique needs of vulnerable workers. 

Mesothelioma National Tissue Bank

The purpose of the Mesothelioma National Tissue Bank is to accelerate translational research 

by providing the scientific community with high quality data and biospecimen collection for 

mesothelioma. This will be a resource giving researchers access to de-identified clinical data 

associated with a multitude of biospecimens and will support scientific discovery, improve 

detection, and enable the development of effective treatment for mesothelioma. By supporting 
10 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

research studies that address the complex mechanisms and biological changes associated with 

mesothelioma and its disease progression, the Mesothelioma National Tissue Bank may ultimately help improve the overall quality of life of current and former workers diagnosed with 

and treated for malignant mesothelioma. 

World Health Organization

NIOSH recognizes the need for global partnerships and participation in accomplishing its 

mission of providing national and world leadership to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses 

and fatalities by providing funding to support global occupational safety and health initiatives 

through long-standing collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO). 

NIOSH has provided a leadership role to the WHO Collaborating Centres in Occupational 

Health since 1976, and has been involved in program planning, collaborative research, training, management, and interaction with WHO’s Program on Workers’ Health.

Additional support of global health activities included cosponsorship of the National Institutes 

of Health (NIH) Fogarty International Center Global Environmental and Occupational Health 

(GEOHealth) program. This interagency agreement has supported dozens of research training 

grants across the globe designed to prepare the next generation of scientists, researchers, and 

practitioners to deal effectively with the increasing burden of occupational injury and illness 

around the world. Current funding supports the development of institutions in the low- or 

middle-income countries that serve as regional hubs for collaborative research, data management, training, curriculum and outreach, and policy development around high priority 

local, national, and regional environmental and occupational health threats. More information 

about the global health collaboration with NIH and other partners can be found at the Global 

Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) webpage. 

Specialty Training Programs

In addition to the Education and Research Centers (ERCs) described under “Multidisciplinary 

Centers” above, NIOSH supports professional training in occupational safety and health in 

single disciplines through Training Project Grants (TPGs). The majority of TPGs are academic 

training programs that support undergraduate and graduate training. These programs complement the national network of graduate training provided by ERCs, and they are located 

throughout the United States.

NIOSH funds a unique Training Project Grant—the Emergency Responder Training 

Program—through the International Association of Fire Fighters. This grant supports a comprehensive, nationwide hazardous substance training program for fire fighters, paramedics, 

and other emergency responders across the United States.

The Miner Safety and Health Training Program–Western United States cooperative agreement 

connects the mining community with mining-relevant information, resources, and methods 

that increase the capacity and efficacy of safety training for western states’ miners. These services and activities are provided by the Western Mining Safety and Health Training Resource 

Center at the University of Arizona, along with the Energy, Mining and Construction Industry 

Safety Program at the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Texas at Arlington 

Division for Enterprise Development.
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 11

The number and funding for all specialty-training grants (new and continuing) awarded in 

FY2015 are presented in Table 2.

Small Business Innovation Research

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program stimulates technological innovation 

in the private sector and strengthens the role of small business in meeting federal research 

needs or the private sector’s own research and development needs by increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results. The NIOSH SBIR program funds 

early stage small businesses that are seeking to commercialize innovative technologies for 

occupational safety and health. This competitive program helps small businesses participate in 

federal research and development, develop life-saving technologies, create jobs, and improve 

the return on investment from federally funded research for economic and social benefits 

to the nation. NIOSH issues solicitations for Phase I and Phase II research proposals from 

science and technology-based firms. Phase II proposals are limited to small businesses that 

have successfully completed their Phase I projects. Awards and funding for all FY2015 SBIR 

grants are presented in Table 2.
12 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH ACTIVITY BY NIOSH 

PROGRAM AREA

The NIOSH program portfolio is organized around the Second Decade of NORA sector structure. Extramural research activity in FY2015 was distributed across all the NIOSH sector 

program areas. Figure 4 shows the distribution of funding for investigator-initiated research 

and career development research across NORA sectors in FY2015. Most FY2015 funding was 

awarded to projects in the Manufacturing Sector, followed by Healthcare and Social Assistance 

and All Sectors. (Figure 4). 

*Includes projects that contribute to advancing all or most of the NIOSH sector programs and includes public health activities 

tools that cut across NORA industry sectors. 

Figure 4. Research funding by sector program, FY2015 

$6.29

$5.78

$4.42

$3.58

$2.23

$1.62

$1.13 $0.90 $0.62 $0.25 $0.20

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

MNF HSA All* AFF SRV TWU SPS CON MIN MIO WRT

Millions of Dollars
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 13

SUCCESS RATES FOR RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS IN 

FY2007–FY2015

The success rate is the percentage of reviewed applications that receive funding on a fiscal year 

basis, and it is one of the measures of the viability of the research grants program. The success 

rates for new awards are calculated for the investigator-initiated research only, which includes 

the R01, R03, and R21 grant mechanisms. 

In FY2015, 20 new research awards (R01, R03, and R21 combined) were given out of 165 new 

applications (Figure 5), for an overall success rate of 12%. The number of new applications in 

FY2015 increased from 154 in FY2014 to 165 in FY2015. The overall success rate generally 

remained stable over the past 8 years, but decreased in FY2015 to its lowest percentage during 

this period. The increase in new applications in FY2015 resulted in a decline in the overall 

success rate to 12%. For the FY2007–FY2015 period, the mean annual number of applications 

was 172, the mean number of awards was 31, and the mean annual success rate was 18%. 

Figure 5. Overall success rates for research project grants 

(R01, R03, and R21), FY2007–FY2015 

192

207

159

180 183

170

135

154

165

33 39 38 36 24 31 31 26 20

17% 19%

24%

20%

13%

18%

23%

17%

12%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0

50

100

150

200

250

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Applications New Awards Overall Success Rate
14 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

R01 Success Rates

Figure 6 shows the success rates for R01 applications from FY2007 to FY2015. The success 

rate over time has remained somewhat stable, with a high of 28% in FY2010 and a low of 

13% in FY2012. However, while the number of applications declined from 135 in FY2007 

to 58 in FY2014, this figure rose to 70 in FY2015. There has also been a decline in the 

number of new R01 awards, from a high of 29 new awards in FY2008 to a low of 9 awards in 

FY2012. New awards have increased slightly from FY2012. 

Figure 6. Success rates for R01 applications, FY2007–FY2015

135

107

82 80

73

68

62 58

70

25 29 19 22 10 9 16 12 13

19%

27%

23%

28%

14% 13%

26%

21% 19%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

No. Applications No. New Awards Success Rate
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 15

R03 Success Rates

Figure 7 shows the number of R03 applications and new awards made annually from 

FY2007 to FY2015. Except for a sharp increase in the success rates to 30% in 2009 (most 

likely due to the decrease in applications that year) overall rates have remained stable from 

FY2007 through FY2015. 

Figure 7. Success rates for R03 applications, FY2007–FY2015 

29

43

23

46 46

44

31 31

28

3 7 7 5 5 6 3 4 3

10%

16%

30%

11% 11% 14%

10% 13% 11%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

No. Applications No. New Awards Success Rate
16 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

R21 Success Rates

Figure 8 shows the number of R21 applications and new awards made annually from 

FY2007 to FY2015. The number of R21 applications increased substantially over this 

time, reaching a high of 67 applications in FY2015. The number of new awards in FY2015 

decreased to its lowest point since FY2008 although the trend has remained somewhat 

stable since FY2009, with a peak of 16 new awards in FY2012. 

28

57

54 54

64

58

42

65 67

5 3 12 9 10 16 12 10 4

18%

5%

22% 17% 16%

28% 29%

15%

6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

No. Applications No. New Awards Success Rate

Figure 8. Success rates for R21 applications, FY2007–FY2015 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 17

III. RESEARCH INTEGRATION IN FY2015

Research integration at NIOSH is an effort to strategically 

align and improve research productivity through coordination, cooperation, and collaboration across intramural 

and extramural programs. One measure of integrated 

research programs is the extent to which sector program goals are addressed by intramural and extramural 

research. NIOSH conducts an annual assessment of 

the number of intramural and extramural projects that 

address common strategic goals of the NORA sector programs. A full listing and description of each sector’s strategic plan and agenda can be found 

on the NORA homepage on the NIOSH website.

The following figure identifies the 10 sectors that 

represent the major areas of the US economy. 

NIOSH sector programs have identified strategic 

goals to address the most pressing occupational 

safety and health issues workers face. Intramural 

and extramural researchers address these goals 

through research, service, and outreach activities. 

Figure 9 presents a graphic representation of 

the number of strategic goals by sector and the 

number of goals that were addressed by intramural 

researchers, extramural researchers, or both. Figure 

9 also indicates which goals were not addressed or 

were inactive during FY2015. In FY2015, a total of 

101 of the 108 (94%) NORA strategic goals were 

addressed by research projects, in particular intramural studies. Extramural projects addressed 54 

(50%) strategic goals. The greatest number of goals 

addressed by extramural research were in Construction (CON), followed by Agriculture, 

Forestry, and Fishing (AFF), Manufacturing (MNF), and Public Safety (SPS). All strategic 

goals were addressed by both intramural and extramural research in the AFF, and Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (TWU) sectors. 

Extramural researchers 

addressed the greatest number 

of goals in CON, followed by 

AFF, MNF, and SPS.

94% of all strategic goals 

were addressed in FY2015. 

Extramural researchers addressed 

50% of all strategic goals.

 Research integration was most 

evident in the AFF and TWU sectors 

where intramural and extramural 

researchers addressed all strategic 

goals in these two sectors.
18 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Figure 9. Integration of NIOSH Research Goals by Sector, FY2015

Intramural Project Extramural Project Intramural & Extramural Project

Unaddressed Goal Inactive Goal

9

4

1

2

2

1

9

15

4

3

3

4

10

1

AFF

CON

HSA

MNF

MIN

MIO

SPS

SVC

TWU

WRT

12 7

5

3

7

4 2

Agriculture, 

Forestry, 

and Fishing 

Construction 

Healthcare 

and Social 

Assistance 

Manufacturing 

Mining

Oil and Gas 

Extraction 

Public Safety

Services

Transportation, 

Warehousing, 

and Utilities

Wholesale and 

Retail Trade 

9 Total Goals

15 Total Goals

10 Total Goals

10 Total Goals

7 Total Goals

11 Total Goals

18 Total Goals

18 Total Goals

4 Total Goals

6 Total Goals

HOW TO READ THIS VISUALIZATION

Each sector program is displayed with its own icon. To the right of the icon, the number of strategic goals 

addressed by research in FY2015 is indicated. It is important to note that some projects are both intramural 

and extramural. Please see the key below.
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 19

INTEGRATED RESEARCH ACTIVITY BY SECTOR 

STRATEGIC GOALS, FY2015

In order to better characterize NIOSH-funded research in FY2015, a review was conducted 

of the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural projects by industry sectors. 

The following tables identify the specific NORA sector strategic goals that were addressed 

by extramural and intramural research projects. A description of each sector’s strategic 

goals can be found on the NORA webpage.

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing

Table 4 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector in FY2015. All nine strategic goals for this 

sector were addressed by both intramural and extramural research projects. The strategic goal 

most frequently addressed for extramural projects (n=32) and for all research (n=59) was 

SG1 (Surveillance). Intramural research most frequently addressed SG5 (Agricultural Health). 

Table 4. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing research projects by strategic 

goal, FY2015 

Strategic Goal (SG) Extramural Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Surveillance 32 27

SG2: Vulnerable Workers 15 25

SG3: Outreach and Partnerships 11 14

SG4: Agricultural Safety 11 7

SG5: Agricultural Health 19 31

SG6: Forestry Injuries 2 6

SG7: Forestry Illness/Disease 2 10

SG8: Commercial Fishing Injuries 3 7

SG9: Commercial Fishing Illness/Disease 2 9
20 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Construction 

Table 5 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Construction Sector in FY2015. Twelve out of 13 active strategic goals for this sector 

were addressed by both intramural and extramural research projects in FY2015. Two strategic 

goals (SG2 and SG10) were inactive during this fiscal year. The strategic goal most frequently 

(n=75) addressed was SG14: Surveillance.

Table 5. Construction research projects by strategic goal, FY2015 

Strategic Goal (SG)

Extramural 

Projects

Intramural 

Projects

SG1: Falls Prevention 3 14

SG2: Electrocution (inactive after FY2011) 0 1

SG3: Struck-by Incidents Prevention 2 9

SG4: Hearing Loss Prevention 2 5

SG5: Silica 2 28

SG6: Welding Fumes 2 19

SG7: Musculoskeletal Disorders 6 9

SG8: Safety and Health Cultures 2 12

SG9: Safety and Health Management 3 10

SG10: Industry and Work Organization (inactive after FY2011) 2 4

SG11: Training and Education 2 7

SG12: Health Disparities 2 20

SG13: Prevention through Design 3 13

SG 14: Surveillance 45 30

SG 15: Engaging Media 0 0
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 21

Healthcare and Social Assistance

Table 6 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector in FY2015. Five out of 10 strategic goals were 

addressed by both intramural and extramural research projects in FY2015 while SG 8 was 

supported only by intramural research. Four strategic goals (SG6, SG7, SG9 and SG10) were 

added in FY2014 and not supported by research projects. SG2: Musculoskeletal Disorders 

was most frequently addressed by extramural research and the strategic goal most frequently 

(n=48) addressed by overall projects was SG1: Safety Culture.

Table 6. Healthcare and Social Assistance research projects by strategic 

goal, FY2015 

Strategic Goal (SG) Extramural Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Safety Culture 10 38

SG2: Musculoskeletal Disorders 14 9

SG3: Hazardous Drugs and Chemicals 4 36

SG4: Sharp Injuries 2 8

SG5: Infectious Disease 4 39

SG6: Zoonotic Diseases In Veterinary 

Medicine and Animal Care 0 0

SG7: Injuries In Veterinary Medicine and 

Animal Care 0 0

SG8: Respiratory Hazards In Veterinary 

Medicine and Animal Care 0 2

SG9: Reproductive Hazards In Veterinary 

Medicine and Animal Care 0 0

SG10: Physical Hazards In Veterinary 

Medicine and Animal Care 0 0
22 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Manufacturing

Table 7 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects in the Manufacturing Sector in FY2015. A total of 10 strategic goals for this sector were 

addressed. Seven were supported by both intramural and extramural research projects in 

FY2015, while SG1, SG7, and SG10 were only addressed by intramural research projects. The 

strategic goal most frequently addressed by intramural and extramural projects (n=114) was 

SG5: Respiratory Diseases.

Table 7. Manufacturing research by strategic goal, FY2015 

Strategic Goal (SG) Extramural Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Contact with Objects and Equipment 0 14

SG2: Falls 2 4

SG3: Musculoskeletal Disorders 6 23

SG4: Hearing Loss 2 14

SG5: Respiratory Diseases 14 100

SG6: Cancer 7 36

SG7: Vulnerable Populations 0 24

SG8: Small Business 1 17

SG9: Emerging Risks 3 71

SG10: Catastrophic Incidents 0 3
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 23

Mining

Table 8 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Mining Sector in FY2015. All seven strategic goals for this sector were addressed. Four 

strategic goals for this sector were addressed by both intramural and extramural research 

projects in FY2015 while SG2, SG6 and SG7 were supported by intramural research projects. 

The strategic goal most frequently (n=48) addressed was SG1: Respiratory Diseases.

Table 8. Mining research by strategic goal, FY2015

Strategic Goal (SG) Extramural Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Respiratory Diseases 4 44

SG2: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss 0 12

SG3: Musculoskeletal Disorders 3 11

SG4: Traumatic Injuries 3 26

SG5: Disaster Response and Prevention 3 29

SG6: Ground Failure Fatalities and Injuries 0 15

SG7: Interventions with New Technologies 0 17
24 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Oil and Gas Extraction

Table 9 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Oil and Gas Extraction Sector in FY2015. Nine active strategic goals were addressed in 

this sector and supported only by intramural research projects. Two strategic goals (SG5 and 

SG7) are inactive . The strategic goal most frequently addressed (n = 27) was SG6: Chemical 

Exposures. 

Table 9. Oil and Gas Extraction research by strategic goal, FY2015

Strategic Goal (SG)

Extramural 

Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Transportation-Related Injuries and Fatalities 0 13

SG2: Contact Injuries 0 5

SG3: Falls 0 5

SG4: Fires and Explosions 0 3

SG5: Improvement in Workplace Practices, Procedures 

and Policies 0 0

SG6: Chemical Exposures 0 27

SG07: Develop Industry-Specific Products 0 4

SG8: Fatigue 0 1

SG9: Vulnerable Workers 0 8

SG10: Small Businesses 0 2

SG11: Storage and Transportation 0 1
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 25

Public Safety

Table 10 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Public Safety Sector in FY2015. Research projects addressed 17 out of 18 strategic goals 

within this sector. Ten strategic goals (SG3, SG7, SG9, SG10, SG11, SG12, SG13, SG14, SG16, 

and SG17) were supported by intramural projects, while others were supported by both intramural and extramural research projects. The strategic goal most frequently addressed (n=50) 

was SG1: Chronic Disease in Fire Fighters. 

Table 10. Public Safety research by strategic goal, FY2015

Strategic Goal (SG)

Extramural 

Projects

Intramural 

Projects

SG1: Chronic Disease in Fire Fighters 2 48

SG2: Structural Firefighting Operations 2 18

SG3: Vehicle-Related Injuries in Fire Fighters 0 11

SG4: Musculoskeletal Disorders 3 3

SG5:Surveillance in Law Enforcement 2 17

SG6: Vehicle-Related Injuries in Law Enforcement 1 13

SG7: Criminal Assaults in Law Enforcement 0 2

SG8: Cardiovascular Disease in Law Enforcement 2 7

SG9: Traumatic Injury in Corrections 0 3

SG10: Infectious Disease in Corrections 0 7

SG11: Occupational Stress in Corrections 0 3

SG12: Vehicle-Related Injuries in EMS 0 6

SG13: Patient- and Equipment-Handling Injuries in EMS 0 2

SG14: Infectious Disease and Hazardous Exposures in EMS 0 21

SG15: Work Organization in EMS 1 4

SG16: Surveillance in EMS 0 8

SG17: Injuries and Illnesses in Wildland Firefighting 0 3

SG18: Health and Safety in Wildland Firefighting 0 0
26 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Services

Table 11 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Services Sector in FY2015. All 18 strategic goals for this sector were addressed. Three 

strategic goals (SG8, SG16, and SG17) were supported by both intramural and extramural 

research projects, while others were supported only by intramural research. The strategic goal 

most frequently (n=77) addressed was SG17: Surveillance.

Table 11. Services research strategic goal, FY2015

Strategic Goal (SG)

Extramural 

Projects

Intramural 

Projects

SG1: Illnesses and Fatal Injuries in Auto Repair 0 4

SG2: Illnesses and Injuries in Building Services 0 14

SG3: Health Disparities in Building Services 0 3

SG4: Illnesses and Injuries in Schools 0 24

SG5: Injuries in Hotel/Motel Industry 0 5

SG6: Illnesses in Hotel/Motel Industry 0 11

SG7: Health Disparities in Hotel/Motel Industry 0 2

SG8: Injuries/Illnesses in Government 1 16

SG9: Traumatic Injuries in Recreation and Entertainment 

Industries 0 1

SG10: Injuries in Food Services 0 4

SG11: Violence in Food Services 0 1

SG12: Injuries/Illnesses in Telecommunications 0 5

SG13: Traumatic Injuries in Telecommunications 0 1

SG14: Temporary Labor/Contractors/Contingent Workers 0 2

SG15: Injuries in Waste Collection, Disposal, and Recycling 

Industries 0 2

SG16: Musculoskeletal Disorders 2 6

SG17: Surveillance 44 33

SG18: Injuries/Illnesses in Nail and Hair Salons 0 2
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 27

Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities

Table 12 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector in FY2015. All four strategic goals for 

this sector were addressed and supported by intramural and extramural research. The strategic 

goal most frequently addressed (n=42) was SG4: Chemical/Biological/Physical Hazards.

Table 12. Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities research by strategic 

goal, FY2015 

Strategic Goal (SG) Extramural Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Traumatic Injuries 2 27

SG2: Musculoskeletal Disorders 4 15

SG3: Health and Wellness Programs 1 17

SG4: Chemical/Biological/Physical Hazards 5 37

Wholesale and Retail Trade

Table 13 displays the strategic goals addressed by extramural and intramural research projects 

in the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector in FY2015. All six strategic goals were addressed 

within this sector. Two strategic goals (SG1 and SG2) were supported by both intramural and 

extramural research projects while others were supported only by intramural research. SG1: 

Musculoskeletal Disorders was most frequently addressed (n=5) by extramural research, and 

the strategic goal most frequently addressed by intramural research (n=20) was SG6: Vulnerable Workers.

Table 13. Wholesale and Retail Trade research by strategic goal, FY2015

Strategic Goal (SG) Extramural Projects Intramural Projects

SG1: Musculoskeletal Disorders 5 14

SG2: Traumatic Injuries 1 8

SG3: Violence 0 4

SG4: Vehicle-Related Injuries 0 6

SG5: Small Business Outreach 0 7

SG6: Vulnerable Workers 0 20
28 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

IV. FY2015 EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH OUTPUTS 

AND OUTCOMES

Outputs are the products of research activities. Examples include publications, reports, 

conference proceedings, presentations/posters, databases, tools, methods, guidelines, recommendations, education and training materials, inventions, and patents. This section describes 

the outputs and outcomes of NIOSH-funded extramural research during FY2015.

SUMMARY OF PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS 

FOR FY2015

Publications by NIOSH-funded extramural researchers were collected from principal investigator reports to NIOSH, the NIH Reporter database, NIOSHTIC-2 database, and PubMed 

database. From October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015, there were 472 publications across 234 

different journals. Table 14 shows the number of publications by funding activity. Researchers 

published their NIOSH-funded research in an array of journals related to occupational safety 

and health. The journal most frequently published in was Occupational and Environmental 

Medicine (n=43) followed by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine (n=39), the Journal of 

Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (n=20) and Annals of Occupational Hygiene (n=11). 

A searchable database of NIOSH publications can be found at Grantee Award Final Reports 

and Publications on the OEP webpages.
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 29

Table 14. Number of publications by funding type, FY2015

Funding Type Number of Publications

Research Project Grants (R01) 150

Education and Research Center Grant (T42) 140

Agricultural Safety and Health Center (U50, U54, U01) 67

Exploratory Development Grant (R21) 37

National Center for Construction Research and Training (U60) 27

Total Worker Health® (U19) 20

Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) 17

Training Project Grant (T01, T03) 16

State Surveillance Program (U60) 13

Small Research Grant (R03) 11

Research Project Cooperative Agreement (U01) 8

Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grant (R18) 3

Mesothelioma (U19, U24) 2

Conference (R13) 2

Education Projects (R25) 1

Total* 514*

*Total number is greater than 472 publications because a publication could acknowledge more than one source of funding. 
PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 31

V. APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: NIOSH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS 

BY MECHANISM, FY2015. .

APPENDIX 2: APPENDIX 2: FY2015 EXTRAMURAL PORTFOLIO HIGHLIGHTS. .

A. Multidisciplinary Centers . 

B. Investigator-initiated Research . 

C. Other Cooperative Agreements . .
32 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

APPENDIX 1: NIOSH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY 

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MECHANISM, FY2015 

Funding 

Opportunity Mechanism Title

Investigator-initiated Research

PAR-13-245 K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award

PAR-13-129 R01 Occupational Safety and Health Research

PAR-12-200 R03 NIOSH Small Research Program

PAR -14-246 R13 NIOSH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings

PAR-12-252 R21 NIOSH Exploratory/Developmental Grant Program

Training Programs and Centers

PAR-15-352 T03 Occupational Safety and Health Training Project Grants

PAR-15-303 T42 Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research 

Centers 

Cooperative Agreements

PAR-14-175 U01 Agricultural, Forestry and Fishing Safety and Health Research

PAR-14-229 U13 NIOSH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings

PAR-15-361 U19 Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce 

RFA-OH-14-010 U24 National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank for Translational Research

PAR-15-303 U54 National Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood 

Agricultural Injury

PAR-14-227 U60 Workers’ Compensation Surveillance

PAR-14-275 U60 State Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance Program

RFA-OH-13-001 U60 National Center for Construction Safety and Health Research 

and Translation

RFA-OH-14-004 U60 Miner Safety and Health Training Program—Western United 

States

RFA-OH-14-002 E11

Cooperative Agreement on Occupational Health with the World 

Health Organization: Implementing "Global Plan of Action for 

Workers’ Health 2008–2017"

(Continued)
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 33

Funding 

Opportunity Mechanism Title

Co-Sponsored Research with the National Institutes of Health 

PA-15-269 R43, R44

PHS 2014-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA 

and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant 

Applications

RFA-TW-14-001 U01

Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in 

Global Environmental and Occupational Health 

(GEOHealth)—Research

RFA-TW-14-002 U2R

Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global 

Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth)—

Research Training
34 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

APPENDIX 2: FY2015 EXTRAMURAL PORTFOLIO 

HIGHLIGHTS

A. Multidisciplinary Centers

NIOSH funds targeted research and outreach activities through multidisciplinary centers, with 

a focus on high-risk industries that contribute disproportionately to occupational injury and 

illness in the United States. These centers are funded through a variety of grant mechanisms, 

including cooperative research agreements and center training grants.

1. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers

a. Overview

The Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention 

(Ag Centers) represent a major NIOSH effort to protect the safety and health of agricultural workers and their families. In 1990, the NIOSH Ag Centers were established 

as a part of the NIOSH Agricultural Safety and Health Initiative. The Ag Centers were 

established by cooperative agreement to conduct research, education, and prevention 

projects to address the nation’s pressing agricultural safety and health problems. Geographically, the centers are distributed throughout the nation to be responsive to the 

agricultural safety and health issues unique to the different regions. 

b. Public Health Relevance

In 1990, Congress established a national initiative in agriculture safety and health under 

Public Law 101-517. It was anticipated that this initiative, “... when sustained over 

a period of time, would result in a significant and measureable impact on ... health 

effects among rural Americans.” In response, NIOSH began funding the Centers for 

Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention (Ag Centers) in 

1991. The aim was to improve worker safety and health in the agriculture, forestry, and 

fishing industries—occupations that consistently ranked among the most dangerous in 

the United States. Currently, NIOSH funds nine regional centers and a national center 

that focuses exclusively on childhood agricultural risks. Although it is still true today 

that these occupations rank as some of the most dangerous, there have been significant 

decreases in overall morbidity and mortality in this work sector since the initiative’s 

inception 25 years ago. These improvements are at least partially attributable to the 

work done by the Ag Centers during this time.

The Ag Centers’ work spans the full research to practice continuum. They conduct basic 

science to evaluate and quantify a problem, as well as translating these results into engineering controls, educational outreach efforts, or policy changes aimed at preventing 

or mitigating the problem. Although the Ag Centers’ research is fundamental to the 

creation and validation of evidence-based approaches, the real impacts occur when 

these approaches are actively implemented through practical education, outreach, and 

prevention projects within their respective regions. Geographic diversity in agriculture, 

forestry, and fishing activities drives the need for regional engagement by the centers.
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 35

The contributions of the Ag Centers to public health include the following:

■ Integrating expertise from multiple disciplines, institutions, and community partners to solve complex problems.

■ Providing a continuum of basic research through translation and outreach activities that turn findings into evidence-based prevention programs.

■ Addressing the many cultural, ethnic, educational, and language obstacles that 

are significant barriers to safety and health for many laborers in this workforce.

■ Contributing expertise to agricultural industries in the fields of medicine, nursing, industrial hygiene, epidemiology, engineering, and education.

10

7

1

3

8

2

6

5 9 4

1. University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha

2. University of Iowa, Iowa City

3. Colorado State University, Ft. Collins

4. National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield, WI

5. Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown, NY

NIOSH Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention

6. University of Kentucky, Lexington

7. University of Washington, Seattle

8. University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler

9. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

10. University of California, Davis
36 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

c. Program Highlights in FY2015

Regional Centers Focusing on Musculoskeletal Disorders among 

Agricultural Workers

Due to the physically-demanding tasks and work environments in agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common throughout 

this occupational sector.  It is easy to comprehend the aches and pains associated 

with planting and harvesting crops, working on a commercial fishing vessel, or 

felling trees in rough terrain.  Many issues contribute to the prevalence of MSDs 

in this work force, with some hazards being task specific while others more universal across occupations.  There is a high reliance on heavy equipment or other 

mechanically-assisted tasks that pose a threat to many AFF workers. Interactions 

with unpredictable animals and their herding, flocking, or schooling behaviors 

lead to contact and associated strains and sprains. Many of these jobs also occur 

in rigorous environments where one person may be required to do heavy lifting 

or complete physically challenging tasks with limited or no help from others. 

Examples of Ag Center projects addressing some aspect of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2015 include the following.

Colorado: Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dairy Parlors 

The center at Colorado State is heavily involved in addressing occupational safety 

and health (OSH) issues in dairy parlors where MSDs are one of the primary concerns. Center projects ranged from outreach and training activities to specific 

research projects. An ergonomist working with the center has a monthly column 

on health and safety issues in the “Progressive Dairyman,” one of the leading publications on the dairy industry. Many of the issues featured in the column are MSD 

related. The center has been providing safety training since 2009 to dairy producers/

owners, managers, and workers in New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. Additionally, Colorado’s research project, “Exposure Assessment and Intervention Analysis 

in Large-Herd Dairy Parlors,” addresses the health and safety of large-herd dairy 

workers through assessment and comparison of physical workloads like motion, 

posture, and muscle forces and their direct effect on worker performance. 

Iowa: Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Agricultural Workers

This study examines musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders among agricultural workers. Research findings will provide new information about the physical 

demands experienced by agricultural workers while performing common tasks and 

how forceful muscular exertions, awkward postures, repetitive activities and whole‐

body vibration are linked to the pain, injuries and illnesses of agricultural workers. 

In particular, whole‐body vibration measurements will provide a major contribution to the scientific and practitioner communities’ understanding of whole‐body 

vibration and lower back pain among agricultural workers.

Details 

http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/gpcah/center-projects/

musculoskeletal-symptoms-among-farmers/
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 37

New York: Improving Surveillance of Musculoskeletal Disorder Rates in 

Northeast Lobstermen

This study is designed to improve the national surveillance of commercial fishing 

morbidity and mortality by seeking to understand a regionally important fishing 

industry, lobstering. The study quantifies work exposure by specifically estimating 

the total population of the lobster-harvesting sector. A questionnaire was utilized 

in this research to measure the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries and the body 

segment injured. Data were collected by phone every 3 months from a cohort of 

274 lobster boat captains, and information was obtained via annual face-to-face 

interviews with captains and crew members. This was a 4-year study that ended 

in 2015. Preliminary results support the hypothesis that the lobstering sector has a 

comparably low fatality rate, with specific body segments (wrist, hand, shoulder, and 

back injuries) being associated with increased risk for injury. Qualitative data have 

offered a valuable glimpse into important health issues and community concerns. 

These are namely the lack of ergonomic advice or guidance in the healthcare system. 

These outcomes will inform future work in reducing outcomes of injury and illness 

for lobster fishermen.

Details

http://www.nycamh.org/research/current/inshoresurveillance.php

Washington: Ergonomic Evaluation of Emerging Technologies in the 

Tree Fruit Industry

Tree fruit production activities, such as pruning and structural cutting, green fruit 

thinning, and fruit harvesting require high-intensity physical labor. Traditionally, 

these activities are performed from the ground or from ladders. New interventions 

are being introduced including innovations in hand-held tools (pruners), apple 

collection systems (vacuums and conveyors), and ladder replacements (mobile platforms). This project aims to perform ergonomic evaluations of these interventions, 

integrating productivity and safety evaluations into the process of developing new 

agricultural technologies. 

2. National Center for Construction Research and Training

a. Overview

The Center for Construction Research and Training was awarded a NIOSH National 

Construction Center cooperative agreement for 2014–2019 through an extramural 

competition. NIOSH intends for this partner, with its diverse construction community, to serve as a leader in applied construction research and to diffuse and disseminate 

effective interventions to the construction industry. The CPWR, along with its consortium of six academic partners, conducts research to identify causes of and solutions for 

safety and health risks that construction workers face on the job. Most of the research 

projects support NORA Construction Sector research goals as well as emerging issues.
38 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

b. Public Health Relevance

For the past 25 years, the Center for Construction Research and Training has been 

funded, through a series of competitive program announcements, as the NIOSH-sponsored Center of Excellence for Construction Safety and Health Research. For FY2015, 

CPWR’s research activities addressed NORA Construction Goals 1 through 15, spanning applied research for hazards and health conditions, research to practice for various 

construction trades, emerging issues research in nanomaterials, construction industry data and tracking, and dissemination and transfer of research. Research projects 

also respond to the National Academy of Sciences’ recommendations for the NIOSH 

construction research program, including dissemination and diffusion of research 

to practice solutions. CPWR has cultivated and optimized external partnerships for 

prevention, protections, research, and research translation for the protection of construction workers in the United States.

c. Program Highlights in FY2015 

CPWR’s research received public attention both within and beyond the construction 

industry during FY2015, in particular the center’s work on disparities among construction workers which was cited by federal agencies and professional associations. 

Examples are demonstrated below:

Research on Hispanic Construction Workers Contributes to National 

Reports: 

More than two thirds of migrant workers were under 25 years of age during their first 

trip to the United States between 1982 through 2013. Almost 40% of migrants working in construction in America were not construction workers in Mexico. CPWR’s 

research findings and publications on disparities experienced by Hispanic workers 

are widely cited, including in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA) report, Adding Inequality to Injury: The Costs of Failing to Protect Workers 

on the Job, and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and NIOSH joint 

report, Overlapping Vulnerabilities: The Occupational Health and Safety of Young 

Immigrant Workers in Small Construction Firms. CPWR also presented study results 

on Mexican migrants in the United States at the 2015 National Hispanic Medical 

Association Conference. 

Details

https://www.dol.gov/osha/report/20150304-inequality.pdf

http://www.asse.org/assets/1/7/NIOSHreport_FinalDraft.pdf

APHA Invites Center for Construction Research and Training to Present 

at National Conference: 

The American Public Health Association (APHA) invited CPWR to present at 

the 143rd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Chicago on the study “Economic Consequences of Workplace Injuries in the United States: Findings from the 

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.” This annual event draws more than 12,000 

public health professionals. In the CPWR study, researchers utilized data from the 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 39

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine the effect of work-related injuries on employee wages, income and family net worth. A manuscript based on key 

findings from this project is currently under review for potential publication in the 

American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

3. Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce

a. Overview

NIOSH has funded Centers of Excellence to explore and research the concepts of Total 

Worker Health (TWH). The centers’ research examines the integration and cross-promotion of worker protection, worksite enhancement, and interventions for worker 

health promotion. The effort strives to recognize the synergy in combining efforts 

to reduce personal health risk factors with traditional safety and psychosocial stress 

hazard reduction approaches in the workplace.

Efforts include the following:

■ Pilot testing of promising workplace policies and programs.

■ Developing and disseminating best practices and tool kits. 

■ Developing strategies for overcoming barriers to organizational acceptance and 

adopting comprehensive, coordinated work-based health protection and promotion interventions. 

■ Investigating costs and benefits associated with integrated programs. 

■ Promoting increased development and application of physiological and biological 

markers of stress, sleep, and depression and their use for worker protection or 

improved health outcomes. 

b. Public Health Relevance

The Centers of Excellence develop and evaluate interventions that have improved 

safety, health, wellness and well-being—TWH—in high-risk industries that can reduce 

healthcare costs when adopted on a broad scale. The centers facilitate translation 

from research to practice, testing the process and feasibility of implementing TWH 

approaches in real-world environments spanning the multiple sectors of manufacturing, healthcare, and construction. Efforts include an integrative and comprehensive 

approach to reduce workplace hazards and promote worker health, through its identification of the links between workplace culture and personal high-risk behaviors, as 

well as issues that transcend the workplace, such as work-family strain.

c. Selected Program Highlights FY2015

Building the TWH Knowledge Base 

SafeWell Practice Guidelines Found Effective for Implementing TWH in Small 

to Medium-Sized Companies: 

The Harvard Center for Work, Health, and Well-being developed the SafeWell project to build on its guidelines for implementing TWH approaches, also known as 

“The SafeWell Practice Guidelines: An Integrated Approach to Worker Health.” The 
40 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

SafeWell project is now focused on the adoption of TWH strategies by small to 

medium-sized businesses (SMBs) through these guidelines. During FY2015, the 

center partnered with a health and wellness vendor to examine the feasibility and 

acceptability of delivering TWH approaches in three SMB pilot sites. Vendors often 

provide health and safety services to small to medium-sized employers that lack 

in-house resources, but they rarely provide TWH approaches. A key lesson learned 

from this study is that, despite limited resources to adopt and implement TWH 

approaches, there are examples of SMBs successfully utilizing them. The center 

concluded that company size was not a barrier to implementation and TWH assessment tools were valid and valuable to these businesses. Factors that facilitated this 

vendor-delivered approach to TWH include openness to change and innovation, 

leadership support, committed staff, budgets, and committees, along with collaborative, organizational cultures that prioritize worker health, safety, and well-being. The 

SafeWell Guidelines are utilized globally to inform organizations about ways they 

may conduct integrated approaches to worker health and well-being. This resource 

Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health®

Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC)

University of Iowa Healthier Workforce 

Center for Excellence (HWCE)

Center for the Promotion of Health in 

the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW)

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public 

Health Center for Work, Health and Well-being
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 41

is free and available for download on the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 

Center for Work, Health, and Well-being website. 

Details

http://centerforworkhealth.sph.harvard.edu/resources/safewell-resources

Centers of Excellence Influencing State Standards, Guidance and 

Policy Setting 

CPH-NEW Researchers Contribute Knowledge to Massachusetts 

Department of Public Health Task Force Report on Safe Patient Handling: 

Nursing home workers are at a high risk for lower back injury and other muscle 

and joint issues because of the physical demands of their jobs. The Center for the 

Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW) conducted a 

multiphase study focused on this population, “Promoting Physical and Mental 

Health of Caregivers through Trans-disciplinary Intervention (ProCare).” The ProCare Phase I study evaluated the utilization of safe resident handling equipment in 

nursing facilities and the second phase focused on the long-term effectiveness of the 

Safe Resident Handling Program. In particular, ProCare Phase II examined specific 

organizational factors that influence the safety, health, and satisfaction of nursing 

home workers and their residents. In the study, CPH-NEW produced evidence that 

a comprehensive Safe Resident Handling Program had multiple benefits, including 

lower rates of workers’ compensation claims for back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders and a rapid financial return on investment. The study resulted in 

the Massachusetts Department of Public Health inviting the CPH-NEW principal 

investigator to serve on its Hospital Ergonomics Task Force. During FY2015, the 

Task Force released a report, “Moving into the Future: Promoting Safe Patient Handling for Worker and Patient Safety in Massachusetts Hospitals.” Additionally, both 

the Institute of Medicine and the Veterans Health Administration have recognized 

the ProCare research results. 

Details

https://www.uml.edu/Research/CPH-NEW/Research/long-term-care.aspx

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/admin/dmoa/

data-reports-and-publications-.html

Evaluating Stress Resilience – An Intervention to Reduce Stress and 

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Police: 

Police officers experience high levels of stress and high incidence of cardiovascular disease. The University of Iowa Healthier Workforce Center (HWC) addressed 

this important need through a 3-month intervention that involved educating police 

officers on techniques to manage emotional and physical stress responses. The officers also participated in practice sessions, where they worked on acquiring stress 

management skills while utilizing a hand-held heart monitor to support the process. Results from this study indicated improvement in resilience to stress, positive 

changes in heart rate, and lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and vital 

exhaustion, including experiences of excessive fatigue, increased irritability, and 
42 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

feeling demoralized. Understanding the levels of stress officers report and how to 

modify their reaction to stress may reduce rates of cardiovascular disease in police 

officers and could help police departments retain employees. These research findings 

were disseminated at the 1st International Symposium to Advance TWH and the 

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, 

as well as presented to police leaders at the International Association of Chiefs of 

Police in Alexandria, Virginia. Additionally, the principal investigator of the study 

provided testimony regarding ways to improve police officers’ health and wellness 

to President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing in February 2015. This 

research was also highlighted in the September 2015 issue of Charting Nursing’s 

Future, a newsletter published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Details 

http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/hwcmw/evaluating-stress-resilience-anew-worksite-intervention-to-reduce-stress-and-cvd-risk-factors-in-police/

Far-reaching Awareness and Dissemination of Integrated Approaches 

Efficacy of a Combined Ergonomic Health Promotion Intervention on 

Employee Health Featured in U.S. News: 

Keeping employees who work in sedentary jobs healthy is an important public health 

problem. To address this issue, the University of Iowa Healthier Workforce Center 

tested an intervention focused on office workers becoming more active. The intervention included ergonomic adjustments to each employee’s workstation, along with 

replacing office workers’ sedentary workstations with active workstations that include 

pedal machines at their desks. Study outcomes include workers who received the 

intervention significantly increasing the percent of daily work time spent engaging in 

physical activity. They used the pedal machines for nearly 50 minutes per day. Workers who used the pedal machines also showed changes in multiple health outcomes 

including resting heart rate, weight, and percent body fat. These findings suggest that 

providing sedentary employees with work access to a relatively low cost, portable 

pedal machine that allows for engaging in light intensity activity is effective. It also 

is a potentially sustainable approach for improving the health of sedentary working 

adults. Findings from this study were published in the American Journal of Preventive 

Medicine and featured in more than 100 news outlets including The Atlantic, Yahoo 

News, Christian Science Monitor, Consumer Reports on Health, and Science Daily.

Details 

http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/hwcmw/efficacy-of-a-combinedergonomic-health-promotion-intervention-on-employee-health/

The Global Impact of “Executive and Continuing Professional Education: 

Integrated Employee Health Program”: 

The Harvard Center for Work, Health, and Well-being strives to educate professionals about integrated approaches to TWH through its “Executive and Continuing 

Professional Education: Integrated Employee Health Program.” The annual course 

is designed to provide participants with skills to implement TWH integrated 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 43

approaches to employee health programs, evaluate the effectiveness of workplace 

health strategies, and assess the financial impact of integrated programs. The course 

had global reach in FY2015 via 43 course participants who were practitioners and 

researchers from 14 states and seven countries spanning five continents. The dissemination impact of the course includes the center developing new national and global 

partnerships with governmental, social service, and industrial sectors to collaborate 

on advancing and disseminating integrated approaches to TWH.

Details

http://centerforworkhealth.sph.harvard.edu/events/

work-health-and-well-being-frameworks-evidence-and-applications

Symposium Broadens View of Worker Safety and Health for Audience of More 

Than 100: 

Employers increasingly believe both safety and health are critical to the wellbeing of their workers and their businesses and are eager to learn and share the 

latest evidence-based strategies. In April 2015, the University of Iowa Healthier 

Workforce Center and the Heartland Center for Occupational Health & Safety in 

the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa jointly sponsored the 17th

Annual Occupational Health Symposium, which focused on TWH. More than 

100 practitioners, employers, academics and students attended the conference.

During this event, business leaders and researchers shared their expertise in 

addressing issues such as safety, ergonomics, psychosocial stress, prolonged sitting 

and lack of movement, fatigue, poor work organization, and unhealthy food 

choices – all of which can be hazardous in the workplace. 

Utilization of Integrated Approaches to Improve Worker Health, Safety, 

and Well-being 

Plans Underway to Roll Out Health and Safety “Communities of Practice” for 

Home Care Workers in Oregon: 

The Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC) reports the injury rate for home 

care workers is four times higher than the national average. These workers who 

support individuals who are elderly or have a disability with self-care and mobility 

inside of their homes, are also at an elevated risk for mental and physical health 

issues. Home care workers are a vulnerable population with a limited support structure. OHWC developed and implemented “The Community of Practice and Safety 

Support (COMPASS)” to address this problem. This intervention utilizes a peerled scripted curriculum to organize home care workers into neighborhood-based 

teams that provide education and social support for improving lifestyle (e.g., diet, 

exercise) and safety behaviors. Through NIOSH funding, the center pilot-tested 

COMPASS in partnership with the Service Employment International Union Local 

503 and the Oregon Home Care Commission. Research results indicate that COMPASS improves home care workers’ safety and health knowledge and enhances 

their professional social networks. The program also resulted in home care workers 

having improved safety and health practices that include the use of ergonomic tools. 
44 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Because of these positive outcomes, the Oregon Home Care Commission plans to 

extend use of COMPASS beyond pilot testing the intervention in three cities to a 

statewide roll out of the program through its training system. This move will make 

COMPASS available to 60% of home care workers in the state of Oregon.

Details

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/oregon-instituteoccupational-health-sciences/oregon-healthy-workforce-center/projects/

compass/index.cfm

State of Oregon Adopts Supervisor Training to Promote Health and Safety 

in Construction: 

Supervisors are critical to implementing workplace programs that address TWH 

related issues. These leaders can facilitate the process by educating employees and 

themselves about healthy lifestyles and safe work practices, and encouraging workers to adopt them. However, the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC) points 

out that, while many supervisors have technical knowledge, few of them have these 

supervisory skills. The center aims to enhance supervisor team building skills in 

Latino and non-Latino construction supervisors via a 12-week course supported 

by behavior-tracking technology. The course, which is offered in English and Spanish, is a scripted healthy lifestyle training implemented in small groups to motivate 

construction workers to adopt healthier lifestyle choices and safer work practices. 

OHWC conducted two pilot tests with construction companies, and results from 

one completed study indicate positive outcomes. These changes include an increase 

in workplace safety compliance and team cohesion, and supervisors substantially 

enhanced their level of job and family support when communicating with workers. These leaders also demonstrated a boost in healthy lifestyle knowledge and 

improved their own nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits. Following these results, 

the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries decided to fund the training for construction workers in the state.

Details: 

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/oregon-instituteoccupational-health-sciences/oregon-healthy-workforce-center/projects/

supervisor-training.cfm

City of Portland Adopts TWH Tools for Young Workers: 

Young workers, ages 14 to 24, are at a heightened risk for occupational injuries for a 

multitude of reasons. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

identifies these as a lack of job experience, inability to identify workplace hazards, 

and reluctance to ask questions, along with the cognitive and physical developmental state of youth. The Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC) developed 

the internet-delivered training, “Promoting U through Safety and Health (PUSH),” 

to advance safe work practices and healthy lifestyle choices in young workers. The 

training combines the “NIOSH Talking Safety–Youth at Work” curriculum with 

health promotion and communication topics and has a social media component 

via Tumblr messages. OHWC implemented and evaluated the use of PUSH with 

varied groups including youth employed in the food service industry and park and 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 45

recreation workers. Study results indicated that young workers favored PUSH and 

that PUSH led to significant improvements in their safety and health knowledge. 

Moreover, in 2015, the City of Portland adopted the PUSH training for new seasonal 

parks and recreation workers. 

Details

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/oregon-instituteoccupational-health-sciences/oregon-healthy-workforce-center/projects/

twh-young-workers.cfm

4. Education and Research Centers

a. Overview

NIOSH supports professional training in occupational safety and health through training programs in Education and Research Centers (ERCs). ERCs are university-based, 

multidisciplinary centers that provide graduate training in the core and allied fields of 

occupational safety and health. ERCs also provide continuing education and outreach 

to the occupational safety and health community throughout the federal health region 

they serve. ERCs are interdisciplinary programs that address safety and health training 

and research training in a crosscutting and integrated manner. ERCs are the major 

part of a network of training grants that help ensure an adequate supply of qualified 

professional practitioners and researchers. Outreach and research to practice activities 

with other institutions, businesses, community groups, or agencies located within their 

region are essential ERC components. Programs are encouraged to address area needs 

and implement innovative strategies to meet those needs, with a focus on worker health 

and safety. 

b. Public Health Relevance

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596) establishes the 

NIOSH mandate to conduct education programs to ensure an adequate and steady 

supply of qualified personnel in this discipline. NIOSH responds to this mandate by 

funding training programs in the core and allied disciplines of occupational safety and 

health to increase the number and competencies of the occupational safety and health 

workforce in the United States. NIOSH-funded Education and Research Centers are 

central to this mandate and serve a vital role in protecting and promoting the health 

and safety of the nation’s workforce. Aligning with the goals of Healthy People 2020—

to prevent diseases, injuries, and deaths that are due to working conditions—ERCs 

improve occupational safety and health through education, research, and collaboration. 

They are the regional and national resource on these issues for business, labor, government, and the public. 

ERCs meet the critical need to produce researchers and practitioners—vital to maintaining workplace health and safety—and reducing the burden of preventable work-related 

injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by performing the following actions: 

■ Providing the U.S. workforce with the occupational safety and health expertise 

needed to reduce the burden of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
46 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

■ Developing the major research innovations needed to prevent occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the United States.

■ Providing regional and industry-specific outreach and consultation to more than 

5,000 small-, medium-, and large-sized U.S. businesses annually.

■ Serving as the primary source of accessible experts to the public and government 

leaders for occupational safety and health issues, while not duplicating any other 

U.S. government program. 

c. Selected Program Highlights FY2015

Trainees, Graduates, and Employment of Graduates

In academic year 2014–2015, 285 students graduated from ERC programs with 

specialized training in disciplines that included industrial hygiene, occupational 

NIOSH Education and Research Centers by DHHS Region

2

3

1

8

18

7

5

17

16

9

11

13

12

14

15

10

6

1. University of Alabama at Birmingham

2. University of California, Berkeley

3. University of California, Los Angeles

4. University of Cincinnati

5. University of Colorado Denver

6. Harvard University

7. University of Illinois at Chicago

8. Icahn Mount Sinai School of Medicine

9. University of Iowa

10. Johns Hopkins University

11. University of Kentucky

12. University of Michigan

13. University of Minnesota

14. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

15. University of South Florida

16. University of Texas Health and Science Center at Houston

17. University of Utah

18. University of Washington

4
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 47

health nursing, occupational medicine, occupational safety, and other closely related 

occupational safety and health fields of study. A highlight for FY2015 is that the 

percentage of ERC graduates who were employed or seeking employment increased 

from 89% in FY2014 to 98% in the current fiscal year. The following table shows the 

number of students enrolled, graduates, and employment status during FY2015.

ERC Trainees, Graduates and Employment, FY2015

Program Area Enrolled Graduates

Employed or seeking occupational 

safety and health employment (%)

Industrial Hygiene 199 85 85 (100)

Occupational Health Nursing 132 41 41 (100)

Occupational Medicine 71 27 27 (100)

Occupational Safety 78 34 34 (100)

Other Related Disciplines 283 98 92 (94)

Total 763 285 279 (98)

ERC graduates work in a variety of industries related to occupational safety. The placement of 

FY2015 graduates is shown in the following table by program area and work setting. Graduates 

who are seeking employment in the occupational safety and health field and have not taken 

employment outside their field are considered as remaining in the field.
48 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

ERC Graduate Employment by Work Setting, FY2015

Work Setting/ 

Program Area

Industrial 

Hygiene 

(n=85)

Occupational 

Health 

Nursing 

(n=41)

Occupational 

Medicine 

(n=27)

Occupational 

Safety

(n=34)

Other 

(n=98)

Total 

(N=285)

Academic 

Institution 16 4 2 6 33 61

Clinic/Hospital 0 18 8 1 5 32

Federal 

Government 14 0 2 5 15 36

Private Industry 37 8 7 10 25 87

State/Local 

Government 6 1 1 2 2 12

Other OSH 

Employment 0 0 0 0 6 6

Seeking OSH 

Employment 11 7 7 0 4 29

Seeking OSH 

Advanced 

Degree

1 3 0 10 8 22

Total 85 41 27 34 98 285
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 49

Continuing Education Outputs

A required component of ERCs is continuing education of occupational safety and 

health professionals. Each year, NIOSH ERCs train thousands of these professionals 

around the United States through course offerings in the occupational safety and 

health core and related disciplines. The following table shows the continuing education activity by discipline. In FY2015, the ERCs provided more than 408,000 person 

hours of training to more than 55,000 occupational safety and health professionals, 

through 1,884 courses.

Continuing Education Courses by Discipline, FY2015

Discipline Number Courses Number Trainees

Person-Hours 

of Training

Industrial Hygiene 215 4,104 56,070

Occupational Health Nursing 220 6,029 53,036

Occupational Medicine 224 9,102 38,395

Occupational Safety 933 9,348 171,768

Ag Safety and Health 37 1,819 9,214

Other 255 25,520 80,252

Total 1,884 55,922 408,735

Ebola Webinar Increases Awareness for Hundreds 

In response to the Ebola crisis, faculty and staff at the Icahn Mount Sinai School of 

Medicine (New York / New Jersey ERC) collaborated with leaders from the NIOSH 

National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory to develop a webinar that provided critical information on how healthcare providers and emergency personnel 

should use personal protective clothing to protect themselves. The webinar, with 

expert content, provided an overview of the protective clothing selection process, 

standard test methods for blood and viral penetration resistance, current healthcare 

protective clothing (gown and coverall) standards and specifications, and ongoing 

research projects for Ebola. Nearly 200 individuals viewed this webinar live; an 

archived recording of the presentation is currently available. 

Leveraging Partnerships to Enhance Resources

The Texas ERC (Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health) 

partnered with Shell Oil Company to honor the legacy of Marcus M. Key, MD, by 

establishing an endowed faculty chair in occupational and environmental health. Dr. 

Key, the founding director of NIOSH and a longtime faculty member at University 

of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, contributed greatly to the field of occupational health and safety, in particularly in the areas of teaching and mentoring. 

The funding for the endowed chair will be used to recruit and retain senior faculty.
50 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

Protecting Workers in Emerging Issues and Emerging Industries

At the University of Washington ERC (Northwest Center for Occupational Health 

and Safety), efforts continued in supporting sustainability and green chemistry 

in the northwestern region through new partnerships with pollution prevention 

organizations and practitioners in the biotechnology industry. The center’s director 

provided his expertise on regional and state-wide advisory boards and has presented 

to safety and health practitioners and researchers on the role of chemical substitution for improving worker safety and health in green chemistry (safer chemicals, 

smart energy, and sustainability). The University of Washington has developed 

a Sustainability Green Lab Certification Program for individuals to develop and 

implement best practices for transitioning to safer chemicals and in the use and 

design of 21st century chemicals. 

Additionally, workers’ compensation data show that animal workers have high rates 

of work-related injuries and illnesses. A new academic program, Occupational 

Health at the Human-Animal Interface, at the University of Washington ERC will 

provide research, training, and education on a workforce that has been lacking in 

occupational health services as well as health and safety preventive services. 

Selected Student Impact: Developing Multi-disciplinary Collaborations

For more than 13 years, the ERC at the University of Utah has offered its annual 

National Occupational Research Agenda Young / New Investigators Symposium. 

The goal of this conference is to assemble interested undergraduate and graduate students and young and new investigators from across the United States in a 

forum where NORA-related research is presented and discussed. Representatives 

from 10 different universities attended this year’s event, nearly all of whom made 

podium presentations. Utah sets an atmosphere for an exchange of ideas, and, for 

many of the student presenters, it is their first formal research presentation. Through 

its collaborative spirit, the symposium has developed a history of reaching new 

occupational safety and health investigators across disciplines and forging new relationships among students, faculty, and researchers. 

B. Investigator-initiated Research

1. Research Grants

a. Overview

The goal of the NIOSH extramural research program is to support relevant and 

high-quality scientific investigation that reduces occupational disease and injury. 

NIOSH responds to that goal by funding investigator-initiated research. These 

diverse awards include funding for large occupational safety and health research 

projects (R01), small research grants (R03), and exploratory research grants (R21). 

The extramural research portfolio includes mentored research scientist development 

awards (K01) that provide mentored training for the next generation of occupational 

safety and health scientists. These highly competitive K01 awards provide up to 3 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 51

years of funding and a scientific focus designed to develop the skills and productivity of new career scientists.

b. Public Health Relevance

Large Occupational Safety and Health Research Grants (R01)

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to develop an understanding of the risks 

and conditions that are associated with occupational diseases and injuries, to explore 

methods for reducing risks and for preventing or minimizing exposure to hazardous conditions in the workplace, and to translate significant scientific findings into 

prevention practices and products that will effectively reduce work-related injuries, 

illnesses, and fatalities.

Small Research Grants (R03)

This grant mechanism supports different types of projects, including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research 

projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research 

technology. The R03 is intended to support small research projects that can be carried out in a short time with limited resources.

Exploratory Grant Program (R21)

The R21 mechanism is intended to encourage new exploratory and developmental 

research projects. For example, such projects could assess the feasibility of a new 

area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance 

health-related research. Another example could include the unique and innovative use of an existing methodology to explore a new scientific area. These studies 

may involve high risk/high reward that may lead to a breakthrough in a particular 

area or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or 

applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or 

clinical research. Applications for R21 awards should describe projects distinct from 

those supported through the traditional R01 mechanism. Projects of limited cost 

or scope that use widely accepted approaches and methods within well-established 

fields are better suited for the R03 small grant mechanism.

c. Selected Program Highlights FY2015

Highlights from R01 Grants

Autonomous Electrochemical Gas Detection Microsystem Developed for 

Mine Safety 

Despite continued safety improvements and increased regulations, underground 

mines remain a very dangerous work environment. This is evident from gas explosions and numerous reports of worker injury in mines. Many handheld portable gas 

sensors have been developed, but none of them meet the challenging cost, utility, 

and capability requirements that currently prevent the widespread use of hazardous 

gas monitors in mines. This project aimed to develop technologies and techniques 
52 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

that would result in a widely used gas monitoring system by mine workers to monitor exposures to gas hazards. The system would monitor this type of exposure 

autonomously, in real time, over extended periods and in the real-world mine 

environment. This research has led to a sensor system that has multi-gas sensing 

capabilities and affordable system implementation, and it lays the foundation for 

multidimensional gas sensing at low power and low cost. The project demonstrated 

a unique system-level approach to gas sensing that incorporates electrochemical 

sensors, microelectronics instrumentation, and embedded sensor processing algorithms. This system can be designed to interface with modern wireless monitoring 

technologies for wearable gas sensors in mines. Because of this project, new gas 

sensors are available with patented and sustainable performance and cost advantages 

over existing technologies. The gas sensors are expected to improve worker safety, 

particularly in underground mines. Future sensor and sensor system research can 

potentially lead to new patents for technology transfer and commercialization. This 

new technology is also directly related to applications in improved emission control 

and personal protection.

(R01 9644, Project Title “Autonomous Electrochemical Gas Detection Microsystem for Mine 

Safety,” Mason)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Research Influences National and Global Guidance 

and Policy Setting 

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common and disabling work-related upper 

extremity musculoskeletal disorder (UE MSD). This medical condition is related 

both to personal factors such as age and obesity and intensive hand use in the workplace, mediated by factors like forceful grip and repetitive hand activity. This project 

focused on understanding of the etiology, long-term outcomes, and prevention of 

CTS and resulted in these significant research findings: 

■ Study found strong evidence that frequent and forceful hand activity is an 

independent risk factor for CTS and other UE MSD after controlling for age, 

gender, obesity, and other non-work related risk factors.

■ Study concluded that workers with CTS are more likely than similar types 

of workers without CTS to have permanent hand symptoms and functional 

impairment, including work-related disability.

■ Study determined that work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are 

substantially underreported in workers’ compensation insurance with claims 

and costs often shifted to general health insurance programs. These practices 

impede surveillance efforts and lead to underestimates of the true illness and 

cost burden of work-related MSD. 

■ Study assessed the practice of screening workers for CTS using nerve conduction studies after they have been offered employment, but prior to job 

placement. Research showed that this common employer practice is not a 

useful or valid preventive measure and should be abandoned. 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 53

■ Study created and validated simplified methods for exposure assessment relevant to UE MSD and validated epidemiologic case definitions for carpal 

tunnel syndrome. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Colorado, Washington State 

and countries including Britain, New Zealand, France, and Germany have incorporated these research findings into government guidelines and policy reports related 

to CTS. The results are also cited in a current U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission lawsuit related to post-offer, preplacement screening for CTS. National 

educational materials for physicians, pharmacists, and safety professionals also cite 

this study.

Details

https://oshr.wustl.edu/worker-safety-and-health/worker-health-andproductivity-4/popp-screening/

(R01 8017, Project Title “Post-offer Screening and Risk Factors for CTS,” Evanoff) 

Research Links Long-Term Job Stress for Police to Cardio-metabolic 

Disease 

Certain characteristics of police work like long work hours, shift work, high 

demands, and traumatic exposures have been associated with increased levels of 

psychological stress and, in some cases, adverse cardiovascular issues. This observational study aimed to provide robust evidence that the workplace stressors police 

officers face lead to the development of negative physiological and psychological 

health outcomes. More than 280 police officers participated in this follow-up study 

in which the investigators had prior baseline data on the officers and a protocol 

infrastructure. Researchers tracked the officers for more than 4 years and demonstrated that the stressors they experience on the job resulted in physiological and 

psychological health problems over time. In particular, the results contributed to 

a better understanding of how prolonged exposure to work and life stressors are 

associated with early indicators of cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities in 

police officers. Researchers presented these findings to academics and police stakeholders throughout the United States and published in academic and police trade 

journals. This study can be translated into improved prevention practices among 

police officers and, therefore, benefit a large proportion of the working population.

Details

http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/archive/2011_02_03/police_stress

(R01 9640, Project Title “Stress and Subclinical Cardio-Metabolic Disease in Police: A 

Longitudinal Study,” Violanti) 

Study Increases Accuracy of Method for Assessing Occupational Exposure 

to Titanium Dioxide

University of Iowa investigators developed a nanoparticle respiratory dose sampler that provided a cost-effective means for collecting nanoparticles. This 

innovative technology also had broad application to quantifying low levels of metal-based nanoparticles. Building on this discovery, researchers focused on creating 

proven sampling and analysis methods for assessing exposures to metal-based 
54 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

nanoparticles. Researchers developed a method to accurately quantify titanium 

dioxide (TiO2) particles on air filters made of polyvinyl chloride and mixed-cellulose ester. TiO2 particles are commonly used in consumer products. This finding is 

significant because it challenged the effectiveness of Method 7300, which NIOSH 

recommended for assessing worker exposure to TiO2 in the publication, “Current 

Intelligence Bulletin 63: Occupational Exposure to Titanium Dioxide.” Method 7300 

demonstrated a recovery for TiO2 of 21% compared to 94% for the method developed in this study. Researchers partnered with construction and farm equipment 

company John Deere, and the U.S. Air Force to conduct field sampling to validate the soundness of this sampling and analytical technique in real world settings. 

Researchers also provided NIOSH with the nanoparticle respiratory dose sampler 

for field testing of nanoparticles in a nanocellulose production factory.

Details

https://peters.lab.uiowa.edu/nanoparticle-respiratory-dose-nrd-sampler

(R01 10238, Project Title “A Nanoparticle Respiratory Dose Sampler for Metal-Based 

Nanoparticles,” Peters)

Translation of a Robbery and Workplace Violence Prevention Program to 

High Risk Businesses

Workplace violence is the third leading cause of workplace death in the United 

States, disproportionately affecting workers in the retail, accommodation and food 

services, and taxicab sectors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau 

reports that more than half of all workplace homicides occur in the retail and food 

service sectors – the majority are robbery-related. The principal investigator of this 

project previously conducted studies concluding that evidence-based programs to 

reduce robbery and violent crime demonstrate great success in the retail and food 

service sectors. However, these programs are only effective if owners or managers 

(business operators) opt to implement them. Information about how to successfully 

disseminate these programs and encourage business operator participation, especially in small businesses, is largely unknown. This translational study intended to 

identify optimal and sustainable methods for law enforcement to recruit businesses 

to participate in an evidence-based robbery and violence prevention program, as 

well as achieve high levels of compliance to program recommendations. The project 

involved six police departments that disseminated an evidence-based robbery and 

violence prevention program, called Crime Free Business, to high risk companies 

in their jurisdictions. Crime Free Business includes a 2-hour training for business 

owners and an onsite security evaluation. During the study period, more than 1,000 

businesses were approached as potential research participants, and 322 (32%) participated in the program. The study resulted in the program being implemented 

with high fidelity among these businesses and identified measures to overcoming 

barriers that businesses face in participating in evidence-based robbery and violence 

prevention programs. The International Crime Free Association is now disseminating the program to its membership. The program, Crime Free Business, is currently 

available to more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies nationally and internationally through the association.
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 55

Details

http://www.crime-free-association.org/business.htm

(R01 9527, Project Title “Translation of a Robbery and Workplace Violence Prevention 

Program to High Risk Businesses,” Casteel)

Highlights from R21 Grants

Digital Video Expands Methods of Repetitive Motion Exposure Assessment 

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) 

Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for Hand-Activity Level (HAL) is an analytical tool 

utilized to assess repetitive motion exposure and is based on an individual’s level 

of hand activity while performing short-term job tasks. HAL and other similar 

methods of measuring this type of exposure to assess job risk of hand and wrist 

musculoskeletal disorders are mainly used in research studies and not by occupational safety and health practitioners. These traditional methods are limited in 

use because they involve either direct measurements using instruments attached 

to workers’ hands or arms or indirect observations and such approaches are not 

practical for practitioners. Moreover, there has not been a feasible instrument that 

measures repetitive motion exposure in a way that is objective, unobtrusive, and 

efficient. This project aimed to address this problem by investigating the feasibility of using digital video processing to automatically evaluate HAL. The research 

focused on developing video processing algorithms that would quantify hand activity level in real time using conventional digital videos. This new approach leveraged 

a vast database of videos and associated exposure data that were analyzed manually 

through collaboration with the University of California Berkeley. Through the study, 

researchers found that digital video can be used to automatically measure repetitive 

motion exposure in an objective and discreet manner. This approach is advantageous over traditional methods of this type of exposure assessment because it is 

does not involve attaching sensors to workers’ bodies. Traditional methods often 

interfere with employees’ jobs and possibly movement patterns and exertions. In 

comparison, use of digital video requires minimal human interference and possibly 

allows for real-time analysis. It is anticipated that, in the future, this method will 

be implemented on camera-enabled handheld devices, such as a smartphones or 

tablets, making it widely available to industry practitioners.

Details

https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/schmi427/www/Abstracts/Radwin_Abstract_

Fall2011Seminar.pdf

(R21 10221, Project Title “Video Exposure Assessment of Hand,” Radwin)

Increased Capacity to Detect Nanomaterials in Human Body Tissue 

Engineered nanomaterials (eNMs) are widely utilized in many technology fields 

and are being used more often in industrial applications and consumer products. 

Because of these factors, concerns exist over the health and safety risk of these 

materials, and a particular concern is for occupational exposure related to eNMs. 

Researchers have previously attempted to measure the interaction of nanomaterials 

with biological systems and develop predictive models for health and safety risk to 
56 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

nanoparticles. However, detection of eNMs in the environment and in the body is 

challenged by limitations of analytical techniques. This research strived to overcome this challenge by developing a set of reagents (NProbes) that can be used to 

improve the detection of eNMs in human body tissue. During this study, researchers 

successfully produced NProbes for detecting nanoparticles in human skin, such as 

fluorescent quantum dots and nonfluorescent titanium dioxide. This study investigated the NProbes’ reactivity binding to similar and dissimilar nanomaterials 

and proved that NProbes can detect quantum dots that could not be seen above 

background tissue autofluorescence. Investigators describe their work as groundbreaking, asserting that this is the first time a nanoparticle binding antibody has 

been reported. It is expected that, with future refinement, NProbes will be able to 

detect nanoparticles of varying composition, size, and surface coating. 

(R21 9970, Project Title “Reagents to Enhance Detection of Raw and Biologically 

Transformed Nanomaterials,” DeLouise)

Using Injury Severity to Improve Occupational Traumatic Injury Trend Estimates 

Acute work-related trauma is a leading cause of death and disability among American 

workers and is very costly for injured workers, employers, workers’ compensation 

systems, and society as a whole. Accurate characterization of injury trends is critical 

to prevention planning and evaluation. This study investigated methods to improve 

injury trend estimation and produced information and tools directly useful for occupational injury surveillance and research. A key outcome from the project was the 

development and adoption of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 

Occupational Health Indicator #22 “Work-Related Severe Traumatic Injury Hospitalizations” for state-based surveillance. One challenge that existed for state public 

health and occupational health programs in utilizing the health indicator was the lack 

of a simple and clear definition for surveillance of severe injuries. However, researchers addressed this problem by developing a list of severe traumatic injury ICD-9-CM 

diagnosis codes that roughly corresponds to injuries with an Abbreviated Injury Scale 

of 3 (serious) or above. This list is included in the guidance for Occupational Health 

Indicator #22.

Details

http://www.cste.org/?OHIndicators#

(R21 10307, Project Title “Success for Surveillance Research Method Development: Using 

Injury Severity to Improve Occupational Traumatic Injury Trend Estimates,” Sears) 

C. Cooperative Research Agreements

Cooperative agreements provide NIOSH with the ability to arrange collaborative surveillance and research opportunities with state health departments, universities, labor unions, 

and nonprofit organizations. NIOSH provides funding for a broad array of cooperative 

agreements to develop knowledge that can be used in preventing occupational diseases and 

injury. In FY2015, NIOSH funded the state surveillance program to support capacity development among states to conduct surveillance of occupational injuries, illnesses, fatalities, 

and hazards. NIOSH also provided new funding for workers’ compensation surveillance, 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 57

NIOSH Sponsored State Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance Program

Georgia

Iowa

Maryland

Minnesota

Mississippi

Montana

New Jersey

Tennessee

Texas

Wisconsin

Fundamental 

Programs

California

Kentucky

Massachusetts

Michigan

New York

Oregon

Washington

Expanded 

Programs

Fundamental-Plus 

Programs

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

Louisiana

Nebraska

New Hampshire

North Carolina

California

Massachusetts

Michigan

New York

Washington

Respiratory

Diseases Projects

California

Kentucky

Massachusetts

Michigan

New York

Oregon

Washington

Fatality Assessment

& Control Evaluation

California‡

Massachusetts‡

Michigan

Washington

Other and

Pesticides Projects

Footnotes

*

Date updated 2015

†

26 Awards

‡

Includes workers compensation 

 surveillance awards
58 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

maintained AgFF funding to support forestry safety research, and continued support of the 

Mesothelioma National Tissue Bank. Additionally, NIOSH supported training programs 

through cooperative agreements including the Miner Safety and Health Training Program. 

Unlike grants that are conducted independently of the sponsoring agency, cooperative 

agreements bring together the expertise of federal and nonfederal researchers to accomplish 

public health efforts that would not otherwise occur. In order for a cooperative agreement 

to be awarded, there must be a clear need for programmatic staff involvement during performance of a proposed project. An evaluation is made to determine that the cooperative 

agreement is of sufficient priority to warrant the commitment of staff resources required 

for a collaborative effort during the term of the cooperative agreement award. 

1. State Surveillance Program

a. Overview

The state surveillance program supports the capacity development among states to conduct surveillance of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and it helps expand 

the role of states in conducting in-depth surveillance and follow-up investigations and 

interventions. These local state-based skills and abilities help meet the NIOSH mandate 

to ensure a safe workplace. See the State Surveillance Portfolio Annual Performance 

Reports for more information on these state-based initiatives. 

b. Public Health Relevance

The NIOSH surveillance research program acknowledges and values the contribution 

of state programs in occupational safety and health surveillance. NIOSH provides 

financial and technical assistance to state health and labor agencies to develop and 

expand capacity for programs dealing with occupational health surveillance. The extramural surveillance portfolio comprises 26 state recipients, encompassing 49 projects, 

for addressing work-related morbidity and mortality, exposures and hazards, and special worker populations of interest. These programs’ overall goals include using and 

disseminating occupational health surveillance data for identifying the incidence and 

prevalence of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities; identifying occupational 

health surveillance trends, research opportunities, emerging issues, and high-risk 

worker populations; creating and disseminating targeted educational and prevention 

materials for optimizing their uptake or adaptation for protecting workers; and conducting outreach and engaging partners in public health and safety for advancement 

of “data into action.”

c. Selected Program Highlights FY2015

Cleaning for Asthma-Safer Schools Reduces Asthma Risk for Students 

and Staff

A paradox exists for cleaning many of the nation’s schools. While clearing schools of 

contaminants and microbes to keep students and staff healthy, cleaning may expose 

them to harmful chemicals that are in products. Some ingredients in conventional 

cleaning products like floor strippers, disinfectant wipes, and bathroom cleaners, or 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 59

chemicals like ammonia and bleach pose risks for school building occupants that are 

avoidable. In California, an estimated 40% of adults suffering from asthma report 

their jobs either caused or aggravated their illness, and the state’s Work-Related 

Asthma Prevention Program (WRAPP) maintains that 11% of work-related asthma 

cases in its surveillance database are related to cleaning products. Of these cases, 

nearly 20% had jobs that involved cleaning such as custodians. WRAPP identified 

the remaining 80% as bystanders who worked near areas where cleaning occurred. 

These cases included many school workers. In response to this problem, WRAPP 

developed “Healthy Cleaning & Asthma-Safer Schools: A How-To Guide,” to help 

K–12 school districts transition to asthma-safer cleaning products and practices. 

The guide explains to school administrators, facility managers, and other school 

advocates how to switch to asthma-safer cleaning in simple, manageable steps. It 

also includes ready-to-use tools and resources related to finding safer products, and 

forms to assist districts in making changes and promoting safer cleaning practices 

within schools. WRAPP pilot tested the guide with 10 volunteer school districts 

across California and estimated that exposure to unhealthy cleaning chemicals was 

reduced for hundreds of school staff members and over 143,000 students. So far, the 

guide has been distributed to over 2,100 individuals. 

Details

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohsep/Pages/ClassGuide.aspx

Company Changes Subcontractor Policy Following FACE Report 

Following a workplace death on a construction site, a Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program report recommended that general 

contractors coordinate and stagger multiple subcontractors’ work. The recommendation is aimed at avoiding schedule conflicts and minimizing associated problems 

such as disputes, occupational hazards, and obstructions on the job for construction 

workers. As a result of the FACE report, the construction contractor mentioned in 

the document implemented new policies requiring staggered work schedules for 

subcontractors and requiring workers to wear fall protection equipment at all times. 

Other construction companies have responded favorably to this change and indicate 

plans to implement the same policies. 

Details

http://www.mc.uky.edu/kiprc/projects/KOSHS/face/data/Reports/

13KY042-TB3.pdf

(A Metal Fabrication and Finishing Foreman Dies after 25 Foot Fall at a Commercial 

Building Site, Incident Number: 13KY042) 

Ensuring Safer Products through the Development of Third-Party 

Certified Standards

To help employers, workers, and consumers find safer cleaning products and also 

influence how these products are created, the Work-Related Asthma Prevention 

Program assisted in developing UL ECOLOGO and Green Seal third-party certification standards. These standards define the attributes a product must have in order 
60 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

to be certified. Products that have the ECOLOGO or Green Seal certification are 

scientifically proven to meet these rigorous, third-party environmental performance 

standards. Manufacturers are required to submit their products for third party 

certification review and are subject to audits to ensure that products comply with 

published standards. In earlier versions of the standards, products containing known 

asthma causing chemicals could receive certification. WRAPP aimed to change this 

through participating in the revision of certification standards so that products containing chemicals that trigger allergic type asthma will not be certified. The impact 

of the revised standards is wide-reaching because many policies and guidelines 

nationwide require the use of certified products. Eleven states currently have laws 

that either require or encourage the use of third-party certified cleaning products in 

schools. Additionally, the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) 

program, an environment-oriented building certification program operating under 

the US Green Building Council (USGBC), gives rating points towards its green 

building certification for use of Green Seal and US ECOLOGO certified products in 

facilities. LEED is used to rate nearly two million square feet daily. For developers, 

builders, and owners, this certification is commercially advantageous for attracting 

buyers, renters, and leasers who seek environmentally sustainable, cost-efficient 

business or residential space.

Pesticide Exposure Data Utilized By Federal and State Agencies

The Michigan Enhanced Program in Occupational Injury and Illness Surveillance 

(MIOSHA) focuses on three core functions in public health: collection and analysis 

of data, building partnerships to promote the goal of reducing occupational illness, and assuring efforts to prevent additional work-related illness. To increase its 

effectiveness and reach, the program highly collaborates with state agencies, numerous professional and trade groups, and medical professional societies in Michigan. 

During FY2015, one key outcome for MIOSHA is that the Michigan Department 

of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and Michigan State University 

used pesticide exposure stories during pesticide applicator trainings. These stories were initially featured in MDARD’s Pesticide Advisory Committee quarterly 

reports. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also utilizing MIOSHA data during its evaluation process of pesticide reregistration, which 

includes determining requirements for pesticide product labels. 

Promising Results for Minimizing Silica Exposure for Florida 

Construction Workers

The Florida Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) identifies the construction industry as a high priority industry. Construction surveillance data 

indicates high rates of morbidity and mortality, particularly among Hispanic workers. In particular, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has identified 

silica as a National Emphasis Program Area for this industry. To address this issue, 

OHSP collaborated with the University of Miami for a pilot intervention focused 

on crystalline silica dust exposure among South Florida construction workers. 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 61

The study investigated whether a toolbox talk accompanied by an air monitoring 

demonstration was more effective than a toolbox talk alone in enhancing safety 

knowledge and influencing behavior change among construction workers, which 

includes increased use of personal protective equipment. Toolbox talks are informal 

educational discussions on safety topics and are a standard component of construction worksite safety. However, adult learning theories suggest behavior change is 

aided by a combination of educational methods and interactive strategies. This 

project demonstrated that workers exposed to both the toolbox talk and air sampling had improved knowledge and behavior change compared to the control group 

receiving only the toolbox talk. In particular, this experimental group demonstrated 

greater use of the personal protective equipment (N95 particulate respirator mask) 

provided to all research participants following the intervention. Because the combination of air monitoring demonstrations and toolbox talk illustrates promising 

results, OHSP is considering integrating this approach into future worksite-based 

educational interventions with construction workers. OHSP hopes that this project 

will lead to funding opportunities for larger studies assessing the impact of the 

toolbox talk with a demonstration.

Redesign of Handicapped Accessible Accelerator Pedal for 

Personal Vehicles

An automobile product maker redesigned its handicapped-accessible gas pedal 

based on a Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program 

report, published after a vehicle struck and killed a car dealership employee. In 2015, 

Veigal North America LLC Mobility Products & Design redesigned its Left Foot Gas 

Pedal Model 3545. The new design adds a key to the vehicle’s steering column that 

disengages the handicapped accessible foot pedal, eliminating the removal of these 

pedals by hand when vehicles are serviced. Additionally, the dealership mentioned 

in the FACE report now requires the removal of all handicapped equipment before 

servicing vehicles and has removed desks from the service area for overall injury 

prevention for auto technicians and others. 

Details

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/pdfs/14KY001.pdf

(Auto Technician Mistakes Handicapped Accessible Accelerator Pedal for Brake Pedal and 

Fatally Pins Co-worker, Incident Number: 14KY001) 

Sudden Spike in Pesticide-Related Illness Triggers Public Health Actions to 

Prevent Drift

Despite efforts to prevent agricultural pesticide drift, surveillance identified an 

upward trend in illnesses in Washington State, resulting from drift of pesticides 

applied to crops. The issue started in 2010 with a spike in incidences occurring in 

2014. Fifteen events involving more than 50 people were reported in May 2014, 

which is typical according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). 

However, by the end of 2014, these figures rose to 22 separate drift events, resulting in acute illness in 129 people, the majority of whom (80%) were farmworkers. 

In response to this problem, DOH Pesticide Illness Surveillance and Prevention 
62 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

(PISP) team and agency leaders met with partners in the agricultural industry, labor 

advocates, and agencies that license pesticide applicators. An analysis of the drift 

data and work sessions between PISP and varied partners led to the identification 

of root causes. These included an ineffective alert system for pesticide drift and the 

inability to predict shifting weather conditions to impact drift. PISP served in an 

advisory capacity on the Washington State Department of Employment Securities 

Agency Farmworker Advisory Committee. PISP illness data related to pesticide drift 

supported policy recommendations for stronger protections for farm workers and 

bystanders. These include stronger notification requirements and the need to extend 

no spray zones between pesticide application and workers or other bystanders. The 

committee included a section with prevention guidance for drift events in its final 

report to the Washington State Legislature. In 2015, Washington State legislators 

asked PISP to participate in a work session of the House Health Care and Wellness 

Committee on pesticide drift. Legislators are communicating with DOH to discuss 

proposed legislation to reduce drift and improve pesticide use reporting. PISP is 

also collaborating with researchers at the University of Washington to better understand the impact of weather conditions on pesticide drift and has initiated research 

with these scientists. PISP presented case studies in Spanish and English to large 

audiences of farmworkers and farm managers at the Governor’s Agricultural Safety 

Day workshops. Since PISP’s efforts to minimize this problem, pesticide drift events 

have significantly declined. The figures below show the number of events during 

spring and summer 2015 when compared to the previous year. Weather patterns 

and employment statistics during this time period are similar to the previous year.

Dates Number Events Number Illness Cases (People)

March–June 2014 19 59

March–June 2015 6 20

2. Training Project Grants

a. Overview

NIOSH supports professional training in occupational safety and health in single disciplines through Training Project Grants (TPGs). The majority of TPGs are academic 

training programs that support undergraduate and graduate training. These programs 

complement the national network of graduate training provided by ERCs, and they 

are located throughout the United States. In addition to TPGs for traditional degree 

training programs, NIOSH also supports TPGs that address the unique training needs 

of specialty groups. These include the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP). This program 

provides specialty training and increases diversity among the next generation of occupational health professionals by recruiting and mentoring students from minority and 

immigrant backgrounds including underrepresented minorities. The Alaska Marine 

Safety Education Association has a TPG that expands the network of port-based fishing 

safety instructors in Alaska and the United States through train-the-trainer curriculum 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 63

NIOSH Training Project Grants by Discipline

Alaska Marine

Association of Occupational 

and Environmental Clinics

Connecticut

Emory

International Association 

of Fire Fighters

MA/Lowell

Millersville

Portland State

Wisconsin/Stout

Western Kentucky

Allied Occupational

Safety & Health

Arizona

MA/Lowell

Montana Tech

North Alabama

Oklahoma

Puerto Rico

Purdue

Toledo

Tulane

West Virginia

Industrial

Hygiene

Meharry

Pennsylvania

Texas/Tyler

West Virginia

Yale

Occupational

Medicine

MA/Lowell

Montana Tech

Murray State

Ohio State

Ohio University

SUNY/Buffalo

Texas A&M

Virginia Tech

West Virginia

Occupational

Safety
64 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

designed for the unique needs of the commercial fishing industry. NIOSH also provides funding for a unique TPG, which is the Emergency Responder Training Program 

through the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Additional information 

about this program is discussed later in this report. 

b. Public Health Relevance

TPGs are one of the principal means for NIOSH to provide the nation with an adequate 

supply of qualified professionals to carry out the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

of 1970. The nation’s workforce is diverse, and TPGs help train in specific disciplines 

where an identified need is being met. The graduates of TPGs serve a vital role in protecting and promoting the health and safety of the nation’s workforce, aligning with 

the goals of Healthy People 2020—to prevent diseases, injuries, illnesses, and fatalities 

that are due to working conditions. Occupational safety and health training is essential 

to eliminate these hazards and make the workplace safer and healthier for all workers. 

TPGs are also important resources on occupational safety and health issues for business, labor, government, and the public.

c. Selected Program Highlights FY2015

Training Project Grant Trainees, Graduates and Employment 

by Discipline

In academic year 2014–2015, 148 trainees graduated from the TPG academic training programs with specialized training in industrial hygiene, occupational safety, 

occupational medicine, and allied disciplines in occupational safety and health. 

Allied disciplines included occupational health psychology, risk management, 

occupational ergonomics and engineering, environmental health, and occupational epidemiology.

Training project grant trainees, graduates and employment by discipline, 

FY2015

Program Area Trainees Graduates

Employed in occupational safety and health 

field or seeking advanced training (%)

Industrial Hygiene 174 45 44 (98)

Occupational Safety 117 57 49 (86)

Occupational Medicine 31 13 13 (100)

Allied Disciplines 74 33 30 (91)

Total 396 148 136 (92)
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 65

Preparing Safety Practitioners in Diverse Topics of Occupational Safety 

and Health 

The TPG at Ohio University addresses the shortage of well-trained safety practitioners in southeastern Ohio and the Ohio River Valley. A unique approach at 

the Ohio University TPG is student participation in two internships – one with 

the university’s Department of Safety during their first year in the program, and 

one between year one and year two of their studies. Students complete research 

on diverse topics that are within the scope of the expertise of the faculty and the 

students’ interest. Examples include injuries in the automotive repair sector in Ohio 

(with an emphasis on older workers), safety management practices at regional campuses, ergonomic interventions for Ohio University offices and the development of 

leading indicators. Currently, students are working on topics related to advanced 

data analysis methods for injury analysis, fall safety, the use of lean methodology 

to improve the procurement of ergonomic office equipment, ergonomic analysis of 

restroom design and analysis of software for sit/stand workstations.

The Global Reach of Trainees

Graduates from the TPG at Portland State are currently employed around the globe 

including in Turkey and the Czech Republic (Prague). Portland State’s TPG is a 

graduate training program in Occupational Health Psychology (OHP). OHP is an 

emerging field and involves the application of psychological principles to improving 

the quality of work-life and promoting the safety, health, and well-being of people 

at work. OHP is a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field focusing on the promotion, development, and evaluation of workplace health and safety-related initiatives. 

It integrates individual approaches to safety and health as well as organizational 

approaches and holds many of the same concepts as the NIOSH TWH approach 

to integrating health promotion and health protection. OHP researchers and practitioners draw from the domains of public health, preventive medicine, nursing, 

industrial engineering, law, epidemiology, and psychology to develop sound theory 

and practice for protecting and promoting the safety, health, and well-being of individuals in the workplace. 

3. Emergency Responder Training Program

a. Overview

NIOSH funds a unique TPG in Emergency Responder Training Program through the 

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). The IAFF’s mission through this program is to educate emergency responders about strategies to safeguard their health and 

safety, and reduce occupational injuries, and fatalities related to emergency response, so 

they can better protect the communities they serve. The IAFF has had a long working 

relationship with NIOSH and currently delivers training to all disciplines in emergency 

response: fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement, and public 

health. The IAFF’s proven training record strongly emphasizes occupational safety and 

health as part of a comprehensive first responder training plan. IAFF’s training seeks to 
66 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

fundamentally change knowledge, attitude ,and behaviors, causing responders to adopt 

a safer approach to emergency response throughout their career. Training is conducted 

across the United States and U.S. territories. 

b. Public Health Relevance

This federally funded training program provides an excellent model of a delivery system 

for training first responders. Using a cadre of instructors who are both certified fire 

service instructors and hazardous materials (HazMat) responders, the IAFF offers 

real-world training in HazMat response that few institutions can match. Furthermore, 

because the IAFF brings its training directly to the students in their own communities, 

the IAFF is able to tailor its presentations to address the unique concerns and challenges facing local responders. IAFF training is a proven resource that directly affects 

decisions made in real-world scenarios fire fighters experience every day, and they 

have developed training partnerships with thousands of fire departments throughout 

the United States.

c. Selected Program Highlight FY2015

The IAFF exceeded its projected goals for training in FY2015 of 72 classes and 1,440 

students by delivering a total of 90 classes to 2,107 students, with 44,560 contact hours. 

Emergency Responder Training Classes, FY2015

Class Title Duration # of Classes # of Students # of Contact Hours

Confined Space Operations 16 hours 8 225 3,600

Confined Space Operations 24 hours 1 15 360

Illicit Drug Labs 8 hours 12 183 1,464

Emergency Response to 

Terrorism: Operations 16 hours 6 160 2,560

First Responder Operations 24 hours 63 1,524 36,576

4. Miner Safety and Health Training Program

a. Overview

Despite many technological and work environment advances, mining remains one of 

the most challenging and demanding occupations in the United States. Because of 

the many challenges in the mining industry, the focus areas for mining training must 

encompass a wide range of hazards and risks.

The mining community in the eastern United States is served by the Mine Safety and 

Health Administration (MSHA) Training Academy in Beckley, West Virginia. The training program in West Virginia is not easily accessible to miners in the Western United 

States, and certain aspects of western mining operations are not pertinent to operations 

in the east. To increase access to training and to address gaps related to western mining 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 67

operations, NIOSH has supported miner safety and health training in the Western 

United States since 1999. For 2015, three programs were funded: the Colorado School 

of Mines, the University of Arizona, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

This training provides an integrated approach to reducing injuries to miners and other 

workers in mining operations and to translate research into workplace practices that 

improve mining safety, improve the safety and health of miners, and enhance the safety 

and health of other workers involved in mining operations.

Major objectives are to provide a training program that (1) addresses the training needs 

of miners in the Western United States, (2) develops and delivers training to miners in 

the Western United States, (3) provides qualified instructors and faculty, (4) evaluates 

training effectiveness and impact on reducing injuries and illnesses to miners, and 

(5) coordinates with existing training programs, such as those offered by MSHA and 

MSHA-funded state programs.

b. Public Health Relevance

The Miner Safety and Health Training Program provides critical safety and health training to protect workers in one of the most dangerous industry sectors in the United 

States. This program contributes to this overall goal by taking the following actions:

■ Expanding the mission of NIOSH in protecting and promoting the health of 

mine workers. The trainings have improved work practices, reduced work-related 

injury and illness, and increased the understanding of safety and health practices 

in Western mine worksites.

■ Increasing the safety focus, total health awareness, and leadership competency of 

miners, frontline supervisors, superintendents, and managers representing operations throughout the United States, spanning all major commodity sectors in 

surface and underground mining, as well as contractors.

■ Directing the focus of mine-rescue training toward learning actual rescue skills 

rather than mine rescue contest rules, resulting in team members being better 

prepared to respond to all types of emergencies.

This program fills an important regional need by providing occupational safety and 

health training, mine emergency response and rescue training, and needs-based education to individuals and companies engaged in mining and exploration activities 

throughout the western United States. The program is particularly critical for underserved populations working on mine sites, including contractors, suppliers, consultants, 

equipment manufacturers, and small mine operators.

The program designs and implements active learning strategies for mine safety training 

and has trained trainers across all commodity sectors throughout the Western United 

States on how to improve safety training. These activities increase capacity and improve 

the transfer of best practices to the workplace.
68 NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015

c. Selected Program Highlight FY2015

CSM Releases New Version of MSHA Required Training 

The Colorado School of Mines (CSM) developed and implemented a new training 

designed to support MSHA training requirements, as defined under 30 CFR Part 

48 for new miner and refresher training at surface and underground mines. This 

Part 48 training is intended to supplement current training activities sponsored 

through the Colorado MSHA State Grants program. The training is unique in multiple ways from other Part 48 courses that are offered. It focuses on meeting the 

needs of underserved populations working on mine sites, including contractors, 

suppliers, consultants, equipment manufactures, and small mine operators. Next, 

CSM strategically utilizes a group of technical experts as instructors for both the 

Annual Refresher Training and New Miner Training for surface and underground 

operations. Because of their experience, these instructors present information in a 

context that makes it understandable and directly applicable to miners. The New 

Miner Training course also consists of 24 hours of instruction rather than the 20 

hours offered by other training providers. Because MSHA approved 24 hours of 

instruction for the training, trainees are not required to complete an additional 

four hours of instruction at a surface mine as with other trainings. This is important 

because many individuals attending the CSM training are contractors, and it is often 

difficult for them to complete an additional four hours of training. The most significant aspect of the New Miner Training is that trainees spend a half day underground 

at the CSM Edgar Experimental mine learning safety practices. Within the Western United States, CSM is one of the few institutions, other than mine operators, 

that integrates training at an underground mine as part of its New Miner Training 

course. In FY2015, CSM offered 28 Part 48 training courses to 283 participants, 

and trainees rated them as excellent or very good. The technical expertise and 

variety of training instructors were considered significant strengths. Across the 

courses, 39% to 59% of trainees indicated that their new knowledge would be 

used to train others. 

Higher Level Trainer Curriculum Widely Disseminated and Adopted in 

Mining Sector 

Lecture-based instruction that utilizes tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint has been 

commonly used for years for mining industry training. To improve skill and knowledge transfer during these safety and health trainings, the University of Arizona 

developed the Higher Level Trainer, which is a scripted active learning training,

intended to enhance lecture-based instruction. This approach has proven more 

effective in adult-learning settings than lectured-based trainings. A key component 

of the curriculum is that it includes interchangeable methods between lecture and 

interactive exercises. The Higher Level Trainer course materials are now published 

as a Mine Safety Training Handbook, which the University of Arizona disseminates 

at every Higher Level Trainer session for trainers. During this event, trainers learn 

how to gauge their own audience and utilize the handbook to revise their current 
NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Program ■ Annual Report of Fiscal Year 2015 69

training methods, based on audience needs. The handbook provides trainers with a 

clear lesson plan that directs them, using a sequence of steps and prompting points. 

Trainers can adapt all of the activities in the handbook to work for individuals, 

pairs, small groups or large group trainings. The Higher Level Trainer approach 

is also incorporated into the University of Arizona’s MSHA New Miner Training, 

Annual Refresher Training, and Experienced Miner courses. Several major American mining companies have implemented the Higher Level Trainer curriculum. 

These businesses include Freeport McMoRan, Luminant, McCraren Safety, Resolution Copper, Vulcan Materials, BHP Billiton, Coeur D’Alene, Bridger Coal, and 

Skyline Coal. Evaluations of the training demonstrate that it is effective, resulting in 

a better-prepared miner. This approach to training elicited positive responses from 

instructors and trainees alike, with comments such as “Wow, it didn’t feel like that 

was 8 hours.”

Society of Mining Invites UTA to Present on Newly Developed Leadership 

Development Courses for 1st Line Supervisors

One of the goals for the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is to increase leadership development for first line supervisors in mining operations in order to improve 

safety and health in western mines. During FY2015, UTA created the “Leadership 

Development Course for 1st Line Supervisors” – a 2-day course delivered onsite and 

at no cost to miners in the Western United States, especially those in underserved 

areas. The training supports frontline mining supervisors in developing leadership 

skills so that they are better able to influence employees to work safely and contribute 

towards a positive organizational culture. The course consists of 15 targeted modules 

that address the topics areas of self-awareness, effective interaction with others and 

examination of the work environment with a focus on enhancing leadership effectiveness. The course was pilot tested with a group of primarily frontline supervisors 

from four different mines in Utah. UTA received positive feedback from these leaders with a common theme that they wanted even more information. The Society of 

Mining invited UTA to present on the “Leadership Development Course for 1st Line 

Supervisors” during its Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) meeting in February 2015. 
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DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2017-195

Delivering on the Nation’s promise:

Safety and health at work for all people

through research and prevention

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2017-195