NORA FY 2008 Intramural Funding Awards Announced

Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 245-0645
August 23, 2007

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) today announced the winners of the FY 2008 Intramural National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) competition. Demonstrating a high level of scientific merit and a focus on translating research into practice, awards were given to 18 projects in diverse areas covering some of the many priority needs in each of the NORA sectors.

The selected projects are conducted internally by NIOSH. They were chosen competitively from a larger array of internal projects for which NIOSH researchers applied for NORA funding. The final selections were made following peer review by experts from outside NIOSH.

The approved projects are expected to make substantial contributions to workplace safety and health. Some focus on the highest priority occupational safety and health issues as determined by surveillance information and the ongoing work of the NORA Sector Councils to draft strategic plans for the nation, such as deaths due to falls, trench cave-ins and tractor roll-overs. Others will develop additional needed surveillance information or will close knowledge gaps in emerging issues, such as long-term exposure to low-level radiation and exposure to new nanoparticles.

“This year’s proposals demonstrate our researchers’ ability to focus on priority topics, work with partners, and meet high standards of scientific excellence,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.

All project proposals were received by March 1, 2007, as a result of a June 17, 2006, solicitation. Thirty-eight project proposals were peer reviewed by experts in three panels. The NORA Secondary Review Committee reviewed the external peer review results, input from NIOSH laboratories and divisions and from NIOSH program leaders, and made funding recommendations based on this information.

The list of approved projects follows. For further information about NIOSH research and recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths, visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh. Further information about NORA is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/.

Project Title	Sector(s)	Other
Increasing Adoption of CROPS by Farmers and Manufacturers	Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	Barriers to adoption of cost-effective roll-over protective structures
Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis: Occupational Analysis	All workers	Analysis of existing population-based sample data
Prevention through Design	All workers	Identifying and overcoming barriers
ED-Treated Occupational Injuries by Industry Sector	All workers	Enhance industry sector coding
Development of a Trench Safety CD-ROM for Hispanic Workers	Construction	Partners include community-based Hispanic organizations
Fall Injury Controls and Interventions for Aerial Lifts	Construction; Services; Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities	Laboratory study
Effectiveness of Extension-Ladder Safety Innovations	Construction; Services; Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities; Wholesale and Retail Trade	Laboratory and field study
Lung Effects of Resistance Spot Welding Using Adhesives	Construction; Manufacturing	Laboratory study
International Standard for ICP-MS Multielement Trace Analysis	Construction; Manufacturing; Mining	Ultra-trace measurements of metals and metalloids
Determining the work-relatedness of hearing loss	Construction; Manufacturing; Mining	Improved audiometry
Occupational Exposures in the Nurses Health Study III	Healthcare and Social Assistance	Reproductive effects
Orthophthalaldehyde (OPA) Hazard Assessment	Healthcare and Social Assistance	Field and laboratory study
Respirator and surgical mask efficacy from cough aerosols	Healthcare and Social Assistance	Laboratory study
Hazard surveillance survey of workers in the HCSA sector	Healthcare and Social Assistance	Web-based survey
Evaluating Occupational Ionizing Radiation Exposure Standards	Healthcare and Social Assistance; Manufacturing	Chronic, low-level exposures
Real-time Instrument for Nanoaerosols Exposure Measurement	Manufacturing	Personal monitor development
Pathophysiology of Popcorn Workers’ Lung	Manufacturing	Laboratory study
Potential effects of silicon-based nanowires on lung toxicity	Manufacturing	Laboratory study