Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce (U19)

Notice Number: NOT-OH-15-003

Key Dates
Release Date: April 2, 2015
Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: June 2015
First Estimated Application Due Date: November 2015
Earliest Estimated Award Date: September 2016
Earliest Estimated Start Date: September 2016

Related Announcements
None

Issued by
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Purpose

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intends to publish a funding opportunity announcement for Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce (Centers). The primary purpose of this program is to support existing Centers, and/or establish new ones, to advance the mission of NIOSH in protecting and promoting the safety, health and well-being of the diverse population of workers in our nation.

To further the collaboration with these Centers, in 2011 NIOSH launched the Total Worker Health (TWH ) Program. Total Worker Health promotes the integration of occupational safety and health protection with interventions that promote the comprehensive well-being of workers through research, practice, partnerships, and capacity-building to better serve the needs of the 21st century workforce.

This Notice is provided to encourage investigators with relevant expertise and insights in areas of occupational safety and health protection, and promoting overall worker well-being to begin to consider applying for this upcoming FOA.

The FOA is expected to be published in June 2015 with an expected application due date in November 2015 and will utilize the U19 activity code. Important aspects of the planned FOA are provided in the next section.

Research Initiative Details

Approach
NIOSH Centers of Excellence to Promote a Healthier Workforce are expected to conduct research to integrate occupational safety and health protection with interventions that promote the comprehensive well-being of workers, communicate knowledge and best practices, and develop effective partnerships with workers, organizations and employers, NIOSH scientists, communities, and other partners.

Collaborations among investigators, partners, and institutions to share existing expertise and engage in joint interventions are essential in advancing the scientific evidence related to Total Worker Health.

Needs Assessment. Center applicants are expected to document that their proposed research and outreach programs meet specific regional or national workforce needs and demands.

Center Components

The following three functional core areas are essential components for a Center of Excellence: a) Planning and Evaluation, b) Research, and c) Outreach. Components within these core areas are outlined below.

Planning and Evaluation Core Components (approximately $260K)

  • Center coordination and management
  • Advisory committee(s)
  • Evaluation program

NIOSH intends to streamline evaluation requirements by using a program planning and evaluation logic model framework.

Research Core Components (approximately $715K)

  • Pilot/Feasibility research program
  • Basic/Etiologic research
  • Intervention research
  • Translational research
  • Surveillance research

Research project proposals must clearly identify and address: occupational burden estimates, the need for the proposed study, and the potential for impacts.

Outreach Core (approximately $325K)

  • Communication and dissemination activities
  • Education activities
  • Other outreach activities

Other Information

Information on currently funded centers is available at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/TWH/centers.html.

Information on the Proposed National Total Worker Health Agenda can be found at the following link:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/docket275/pdfs/NationalTWHAgendaFinalDraft9_5_14.pdf

This Notice is provided to encourage investigators with expertise, skills, and insights in relevant and related areas of occupational safety and health to consider applying for this upcoming FOA.

Letter of Intent
The published FOA will request prospective applicants to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) which includes the following information:

Number and title of the funding opportunity announcement
Descriptive titles of anticipated research projects
Principal Investigator name and contact information
Names of other key personnel
Anticipated NIOSH collaborators
Participating institutions

Each LOI should also include a brief description of the: Center, regional and national needs for the Center, burden of occupational injuries and illnesses within the Center's region, and the anticipated impacts of the Center on improving worker safety, health, and well-being.

LOIs will not be binding and will not be part of the peer review of applications. The information provided in the LOIs will allow NIOSH staff to estimate peer review workload and plan the review.

LOIs will be due 60 days prior to the application receipt date and should be sent to the NIOSH Scientific Review Officer named in the FOA.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Maria Lioce, MD
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Telephone: 404-498-2575
Email: MLioce@cdc.gov