University of Colorado Denver

Center for Worker Health and Environment

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2012 Applications - CLOSED

Ergonomics

It Does a Body Good

Dairy parlors are not what they used to be. To meet the increasing demand for milk and dairy products, the dairy industry has evolved significantly from the "stool and bucket" approach. Today's dairy parlors are large and industrialized. In this pilot research project, a PhD student at Colorado State University analyzed the frequency of musculoskeletal injuries occurring among dairy parlor workers. Now a professor at the University of Texas, Dr. David Douphrate continues to work with dairy producers on ergonomics of dairy parlors.

Pilot Grant Program

Research & Funding

Each year, our organization distributes grants to support innovative projects that promote worker health, safety and productivity. We fund pilot research projects, which enhance our scientific knowledge about OESH topics ranging from air sampling techniques to agricultural injuries. We also fund pilot research to practice (r2p) projects that apply scientific knowledge to real world problems.

Areas of Emphasis

While we welcome proposals on any topic that can promote worker health, safety and productivity in our region, we encourage proposals related to the following emphasis areas:

Native American communities of the mountain & plains region
Hispanic and Latino communities in the mountain & plains region
The occupational and environmental health and safety implications of energy production, generation, distribution and use
Small businesses
Surveillance of diseases and injuries related to OESH exposures
Projects that evaluate the cost-effectiveness of OESH interventions

Questions about "research" versus "r2p"? Just ask.

"Research" and "research to practice" are not always distinct from one another. If you are applying to our grant program and you think your project might fit into both categories, please contact us at maperc@ucdenver.edu. You can also learn more about NIOSH's Research to Practice Initiative here: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/r2p/

Applications for 2012

- CLOSED -

Examples of Previous Pilot Projects

Successful Abstracts 2007-2011

GIS Based Rollover Crash Risk Map of Large Trucks on I-70 Mountain Corridor in Colorado

Baseline Health Assessment of a Primarily Latino and Underserved Population in Colorado

In Vivo Assessment of Spinal Neuromuscular Neutral Zones in Humans

Post-Injury Wage Loss- A Quasi-Experimental Design

Surviellance

Transportation Risks on High Mountain Roads

The most common way for someone to die on the job is in a motor vehicle crash while driving for work. In this pilot research project, an engineering researcher at Colorado State University mapped transportation crashes on an interstate highway running through the Rocky Mountains. By plotting transportation incidents on a map, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and analyzing the data with statistics, the researcher was able to identify risky "hot spots." The results of this study, and the methods the researcher used, can be used by transportation departments to improve signage and make other modifications where necessary.

Air Pollution

Cookstoves in Nicaragua: Finding a Baseline

More than half of the people living on the planet Earth burn biomass (e.g. wood) in indoor cookstoves for their heating and cooking needs. There's a problem, though. When fires burn indoors, tiny ash-like particles from the fire get into the air and eventually into people's lungs - potentially causing health problems. This pilot project identified a group of women in Nicaragua and established baseline measures of their health and the levels of cookstove emissions in their homes.