The Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH), an agricultural safety and health center in the UNMC College of Public Health, recently awarded seven pilot program grants to researchers and community organizations, including a UNMC investigator. CS-CASH receives funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Next opportunity
The next call for applications will be in May 2018. Please contact Ellen Duysen for information on the application process.
Investigators funded included:
- Bryant England, M.D., assistant professor, UNMC Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, and the VA Medical Center: “Agricultural and Occupational Exposures in U.S. Veterans with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Associations with Disease Severity.”
- Susan Harris-Broomfield, University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension educator, Rural Health, Wellness and Safety: “ATV Aware Project Evaluation.”
- Hideaki Moriyama, Ph.D., associate professor, UNL School of Biological Sciences: “Development of Ion Channel Blockers for Influenza D Virus.”
- Jana Davidson, education content specialist, Progressive Agriculture Foundation: “Creating Enduring Resources for Farm Safety Education.”
- Chris Blanke, program coordinator, Four Corners Health Department, York, Neb.: “Gathering Local Data and Building Ag Partnerships to Better Reach Ag Families.”
- Julie Rother, health director, Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department, Wayne Neb.: “Project Blue Ribbon Outreach.”
- Josie Rudolphi, Ph.D., associate research scientist, National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield, Wis.: “Identifying the Sources of Stress and Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms among Young Farmers and Ranchers in the Upper and Western Midwest.”
Partnering with UNMC Vice Chancellor of Research Jennifer Larson, M.D., and UNL’s Office of Research and Economic Development, CS-CASH was able to provide a total of $120,000 in funding.
This program supports project investigators with awards up to $20,000 over an 18-month period. The program goal is to enable investigators to collect preliminary data to support submission of grant applications for independent, longer-term, projects related to agricultural safety and health.
The projects selected for support by this program must address a critical issue in agricultural safety and health and lead to a more extensive study of the issue.
The Pilot Projects Program has been an essential component of the CS-CASH since the center was established in 2011. In addition to NIOSH funding, funding from UNMC’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has allowed CS-CASH to fund 33 pilot projects from 2011 through 2016.
Data from pilot projects have been used to generate more than $5 million in additional funding related to agricultural safety and health. Programs and curriculum developed as part of this program have impacted farmers and ranchers, their families, and communities.