NORA FY 2007 Intramural Funding Awards Announced

Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 401-3749
October 11, 2006

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) today announced the winners of the FY 2007 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 10 pilot projects and three programs covering six of the NORA sectors.

The selected projects and programs 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 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. This year’s proposals were especially noteworthy for the increase in the number determined to be of high scientific merit by external peer review. Those that won approval from the external peer reviewers covered the NORA sector areas of trade, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

“This year’s proposals demonstrate our researchers’ experience in building on the successes of NORA, incorporating research-to-practice, and constantly striving to set and meet high standards of scientific excellence,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.

As diverse as the projects are in scope and sector focus, they all aim to provide research and in some cases interventions to help decrease the incidence of occupational illness and injury. All of them focus on research expected to prevent job-related risks of death or serious impairment, to address the needs of special worker populations, and to anticipate emerging issues. This includes projects focused on reducing noise-induced hearing loss in the construction and fishing industries; a remote emergency number dialer for taxi-cab drivers; and performing research to address needs for data in understudied workplaces, worker populations, and occupational risks.

All pilot project and program proposals were received by March 1, 2006 as a result of a July 30, 2005 solicitation. Eighteen pilot project proposals were peer reviewed via a mail review conducted in June 2006. The program proposals were peer reviewed by experts in a panel. The NORA Secondary Committee reviewed the external peer review results, input from NIOSH laboratories and divisions, and from NORA sector groups, and made funding recommendations based on this information.

The list of approved projects and programs follows. For further information about NIOSH research and recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths, call the NIOSH toll-free information number 1-800-35-NIOSH or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh.

Pilot Projects

Ten pilot project proposals received funding under the FY 2007 Intramural NORA Competition Awards. The projects are listed below by NORA Sector.

Construction Sector

• Pilot Project Title: Using cancer registry data for occupational cancer surveillance
• Pilot Project Title: Construction Workers' Exposure to Powered Hand Tool Noise
• Pilot Project Title: Performance Measures for Safety and Health in Construction
• Pilot Project Title: Model Intervention to Lower Exposures in Lead Paint Removal
• Pilot Project Title: Hazard recognition: preventing falls and close calls

Trade Sector

• Pilot Project Title: Mapping Health Threats in the Trade Sector

Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities Sector

• Pilot Project Title: Silent 911 Dialer

HealthCare Sector

• Pilot Project Title: Permeation of Personal Protective Wear by Antineoplastic Drugs

Manufactuing Sector

• Pilot Project Title: Sizing Safety Equipment For Hispanic Meat Processing Workers
• Pilot Project Title: Preventing Hearing Loss Among Shipyard Workers

Programs

Three program proposals received funding under the FY 2007 Intramural NORA Competition Awards. The programs are listed below by NORA Sector.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Sector

• Program Title: Applying Safety Research and Design to the Fishing Industry

Manufacturing Sector

• Program Title: Beryllium and a Novel Control Paradigm

Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities Sector

• Program Title: Truck Driver Safety and Health