Description
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for NIOSH Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health.The purpose of this NOFO is to support Centers of Excellence for TWH to develop and conduct multidisciplinary research, intervention, outreach and education, and evaluation activities that will advance the overall safety, health, and well-being of the diverse population of workers in our nation. Center structure should take advantage of diverse scientific resources and focus on local, regional, and/or national worker safety and health issues. Centers should place emphasis on the creation and implementation of evidence-based solutions that address evolving challenges and opportunities related to worker safety, health, and well-being. Collaborations with other academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other occupational safety and health focused groups are expected. Applicants must concisely describe the occupational health burden within their service area and directly link research and outreach activities to help alleviate the burden. Applicants should also clearly articulate the anticipated impacts of the proposed work, both during the project period and beyond. Essential Center Components NIOSH TWH Centers of Excellence provide interdisciplinary research and outreach that is designed to build the scientific evidence base that supports TWH policies and programs. This facilitates translation of policies and practices into workplaces and helps to foster partnerships among business, labor, government, and the community. Through these partners, the Centers of Excellence can identify opportunities for implementation, education and training, and building overall capacity. The following required components enable Centers of Excellence to cohesively address their goals and objectives for providing impact: Planning and Evaluation Core Research Core Outreach Core Planning and Evaluation Core. The purpose of the Planning and Evaluation Core is to provide oversight, leadership, and management for the center; to engage in long-range planning, coordination, and implementation of work that crosses multiple cores (such as the translation of scientific findings into educational materials or outreach efforts); and to establish and maintain advisory committees. Any collaborative projects with other TWH Centers should include the Planning and Evaluation Core for the purposes of oversight and coordination. All evaluation efforts, from specific project or program evaluation activities to center-wide evaluation, should be initiated and managed within this core. Research Core. The purpose of the Research Core is to identify research needs that contribute to the Center’s goals and objectives, develop research strategies and projects in response to the identified needs, and subsequently manage, monitor, and coordinate all research projects within the center. Research activities can vary widely, from pilot or feasibility studies that are minimally resourced to large projects that require significant investment in personnel, equipment, time, and space. Outreach Core. The purpose of the Outreach Core is to ensure that evidence-based approaches, technologies, guidelines, policies, best practices, or similar activities are promoted and implemented in affected populations such that workers and their associated work environments benefit. Much of the work in the Outreach Core will be implemented through partnerships and collaborations with nonprofit organizations, community groups, industry groups, employers, or similar entities. TWH High Priority Topic Areas To address evolving challenges and opportunities related to worker safety, health, and well-being, the TWH program highlights critical priority areas and emerging issues currently relevant to advancing worker well-being. These are the program’s latest research interests and needs. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list, imply a hierarchy of importance, or be mutually exclusive. Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders in the Workplace TWH Outreach, Education, and Training Measuring Worker Well-Being Future of Work Healthy Work Design and Well-Being More information and references are available at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/priority.html. Other Information Information on currently funded centers is available at the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/twhcenters.html To learn more about Total Worker Health please review the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/default.html Information about the Healthy Work Design and Well-Being (HWD) Cross-Sector Program is available at: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/hwd/default.html Intermediate goals specify desired actions on the part of external stakeholders using NIOSH research findings and outputs. You can learn more about the NIOSH program intermediate goals at: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/about/strategicplan/researchgoals.html To address evolving challenges and opportunities related to worker safety, health, and well-being, the Total Worker Health program highlights critical priority areas and emerging issues that are currently relevant to advancing worker well-being. More information about the Priority Areas and Emerging Issues is available at the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/priority.html