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The New York-New Jersey Education and Research Center (NYNJERC) is the hub of education and research in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in Region 2. Our mission is to prepare the next generation of professionals to be leaders in OSH through rigorous interdisciplinary academic training programs in all the major fields of OSH – occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, and health engineering and ergonomics. Our graduates are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand, evaluate, prevent, manage and treat occupational diseases and injuries, serving workers throughout Region 2 and across the United States.The NYNJERC was founded by the late Irving J. Selikoff, MD, a renowned pulmonary physician and pioneer in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM), who made seminal discoveries pertaining to the human carcinogenicity of asbestos and was centrally involved in creating both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).Supported continuously by NIOSH since 1978, the NYNJERC has developed strong research and educational programs under a series of distinguished leaders in academic occupational medicine. Over the decades, the Center has trained generations of OSH professionals, many of whom now hold senior leadership positions and contribute to the OEM workforce in Region 2 and across the nation.

The Occupational Medicine (OM) Programs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Rutgers School of Public Health provide two-year, full-time residency programs in Occupational Medicine, leading to board eligibility in this area. The programs have four components:

Current and Previous Trainees

Current ResidentsMount Sinai

Rutgers

Recent GraduatesMount Sinai

Rutgers

The Industrial Hygiene Programs at the City University of New York (CUNY) is ABET-accredited. The program consists of 15 credits of public health core courses, 25 credits of specialized Industrial Hygiene credits, and eight credits of EOHS electives, for a total of 48 credits. The MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences program prepares students for careers in the growing field of Industrial Hygiene. Students gain the scientific framework and technical skills to assess and measure exposures to environmental and occupational hazards and to develop control strategies to remediate these exposures, with the ultimate aim of ensuring that workplaces in every field, from offices to schools to factories, are safe and healthy environments. The Industrial Hygiene program also has a concentration in Hazardous Substances Academic Training. The Advanced Certificate in Industrial Hygiene, a twelve-credit program, is designed to provide working professionals with the skills required to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control occupational hazards. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exam.

The Occupational Safety and Health Engineering (OSHE) program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) prepares engineers and safety professionals to design safer, healthier, and more resilient workplaces. Established in 1988 and housed within NJIT’s Newark College of Engineering, OSHE is the only master’s-level occupational safety and health engineering program in the U.S. Northeast and a core member of the NIOSH Region 2 Education and Research Center (NYNJERC). The program integrates engineering principles, statistics, and regulatory knowledge to train graduates for technical and leadership roles across manufacturing, construction, energy, healthcare, warehousing, and government. Students benefit from hands-on learning, interdisciplinary coursework, industry site visits, and research opportunities aligned with national safety priorities, leading to strong career placement and professional impact. A NJ State-approved Graduate Certificate in OSHE is also available and offers a fully online OSHE certificate option

The Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing (OEHN) Program at the New York University offers the PhD/Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) training program to prepare nurse leaders in OEHN. Specifically, we prepare nurse scientists (PhD) to conduct interdisciplinary occupational and environmental health focused research that will advance nursing science, inform clinical practice, and influence the education of future nursing professionals. Our DNP graduates are prepared to provide evidence-based advanced practice clinical care in OEHN, lead interdisciplinary healthcare teams in occupational health and safety, and educate future practitioners in OEHN.

The Continuing Education (CE) Program at the Rutgers University School of Public Health provides continuing education for professionals in occupational safety, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, and occupational health nursing. Additional courses are provided in hazardous substances. Courses are approved for professional development and continuing education credits in the relevant fields.

The Outreach Program, led by the Rutgers School of Public Health and coordinated through the Center for Public Health Workforce Development (CPHWD), aims to enhance awareness and knowledge of occupational safety and health (OSH) across Region 2. The Outreach Program engages practitioners, academic institutions, community organizations, and the public through a diverse array of outreach activities. Key initiatives include the ProConnect networking series, fostering peer-to-peer learning among safety professionals, and the Occupational Health Insights webinars, which bridge occupational medicine and safety perspectives.The program’s strategic objectives include:

The NYNJERC offers a robust Interdisciplinary Program to prepare students for collaborative approaches in occupational safety and health. Each year, the ERC provides three unique courses:

Additionally, the ERC hosts an annual one-day scientific conference where students and residents from all programs share research and insights on OSH issues.

Pilot Project Research Training Program

The Pilot Project Research Training (PPRT) Program, housed within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, provides pilot grants ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 to occupational safety and health (OSH) researchers in Region 2. Proposed research should address topics relevant to OSH and align with CDC/NIOSH NORA research priorities. Priority is given to early-stage investigators seeking to develop independent research careers and to interdisciplinary research projects involving collaboration with relevant stakeholders. The PPRT Program supports innovative pilot research while fostering the development of the next generation of OSH researchers.The PPRT Program's major servies and events include:

ERC Pilot Project Awardees

2026 Awardees

• List of All Awardees

Annual ERC Pilot Research Symposiums
People's Choice Award Recipients

2025

2024

2023

• Watch Awardee Presentations

Recipient of the 2026 Delta Omega Innovative Curriculum Award for the Industrial Site Visits course, part of our Interdisciplinary Program.

• Register (TBA)

Overview:

Grants ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 are available to occupational safety and health researchers in Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands). Research should be in the occupational safety and health field and should focus on the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) research priorities. Projects examining workforce segments with distinct occupational hazards, exposure conditions, or elevated risk profiles are particularly encouraged. The award period is one year.The objectives of the ERC Pilot Project Awards are to foster creative and informative research in occupational safety and health, to generate preliminary data for future/subsequent research projects, to enhance career development of outstanding early-stage investigators, to provide support to investigators seeking new research directions, to encourage transdisciplinary research collaborations, and to increase opportunities for investigators to recognize the NIOSH/NORA mission and related challenges in this research field. This program provides a pathway for the investigators to turn novel research ideas into fully developed research proposals with the goal of generating preliminary data for larger R01/R03 (or K awards) applications.*This funding opportunity is contingent upon the continuation of federal funding and may be modified or delayed based on federal operational status or policy changes.

Eligibility:

Award Amount and Period:

Award Amount: The Scientific Review Committee will award grants ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 of total cost (direct costs + indirect costs with a rate capped at 8% of direct costs). Budget must be directly relevant to the proposed research project. Detailed guidelines of allowed budget types are in the Application Instructions section below.Award Project Period: July 1^st, 2027 – June 30^th, 2028Award Name: Region 2 Education and Research Center, Pilot Project Research Training Program, 2027 Pilot Project Awards

Application Instructions:

The following materials must be submitted by the application deadline Monday, February 1^st, 2027 at 11:59pm EST. All applications should include the following contents in the listed order in one PDF document.

Format Instructions:

1. Cover Page (please use the file "2027 Pilot Projects_CoverPage.docx")

2. Table of Contents

3. Abstract (1 page; 400 words maximum): Provide a summary of the objectives, aims, hypotheses, significance, research plan and expected results. The abstract should also include a brief statement summarizing how the award will enhance the research career of the Principal Investigator (PI), and a description of how the work to be funded by this award will contribute to the development of PI’s research career or a new research focus.

4. Biographical Sketch: A concise scientific resume is required for the PI, mentors, co-investigators, if applicable. Please follow the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form instructions to complete the biosketch (SciENcv must be used to prepare the form). After completion, download the signed form and insert it into the application document.

5. Budget Form: Please use the form "2027 BUDGET Form_ERCmod.docx" (modified version of NIH PHS 398 budget form). Indirect costs are capped at 8% of direct costs. Total cost (direct costs + indirect costs) may not exceed $12,000.

6. Budget Justification (1 page maximum): Detailed descriptions of each item listed in the Budget Form should be outlined with justification of its relationship to the proposed work. Budget must be directly relevant and crucial to the proposed research project.

7. Research Strategy (within 3 to 5 pages): A single-spaced proposal outlining the proposed research plans, which includes the following sections:

a) Introduction (background, study purpose, and benefits to the field and region)
b) Specific Aims
c) Significance/Innovation
d) Research Approach (recruitment strategies, data collection methods, exposure and/or outcome assessment, laboratory/analytical methods, statistical approaches, program evaluation, potential pitfalls and alternative approaches, etc.)
e) If the project utilizes partial data or measurements from another existing project, the proposal must clearly describe the uniqueness of this application and demonstrate clear evidence that there are no overlaps in study aims.
f) A table/graph demonstrating the proposed timeline from preparation to completion of the project, as well as the PI’s plans to prepare for manuscripts for publication in scientific journals. The project should be completed within one year.

8. Career Development and Mentorship Plans (1 page maximum, combined across both components): Career Development Plans required for all applications; Mentorship Plans required for all trainee PIs, and for junior faculty PIs who include a mentor on the project.

a) For all applications, describe PI’s career development plans, including short-term and long-term goals, as well as how this proposed pilot project will play a role in enhancing their research career trajectories in the field of occupational safety and health.
b) For projects with mentors, describe the mentorship plans that will strengthen the PI’s research capability along the course of the project, and detail how the mentor will monitor the progress of the proposed project in each step, including study design, IRB submission, data collection, feasibility and quality checks, budget tracking, research progress tracking, data analysis, results interpretation, manuscript writings, future grant submission, etc. Also, describe how the mentorship activities will enhance the PI’s career development.
c) Mentors of the proposed project who had already served in previously awarded PPRTP pilot projects are required to briefly summarize the outputs/productivity of their previously mentored projects as well as career trajectory of their past pilot project mentees.

9. List of references/citations: References should be placed at the end of the application document.

10. If applicable, please also attach the documentation which demonstrates appropriate human/animal subjects protection and other necessary approvals that have been arranged and received. (NOTE: All awarded projects must obtain IRB approval by June 30^th, 2027. Funding cannot be disbursed without such approval in place.)

11.: Appendix is NOT permitted for this application, except that letters of support from collaborators may be included at the very end of the application PDF file.

Submission Portal:

Submit the electronic version of the completed application in one PDF document
by Monday, February 1^st, 2027 at 11:59pm EST via the following URL:

https://bit.ly/R2ERCpilot2027

Criteria Used to Evaluate Proposals:

The following criteria will be used mainly in determining the awards by an independent Scientific Review Committee.

Research/Scientific Criteria:

Programmatic Criteria:

Reporting Requirements:

Successful awardees will be required to:

Important Dates for 2027 Applicants/Awardees:

Contact Information

Application Submission: https://bit.ly/R2ERCpilot2027For Administrative Questions:
Ms. Giselle Candelario, Program Coordinator (Email: [email protected])
For Scientific Questions:
Dr. Yueh-Hsiu Mathilda Chiu, Program Director (Email: [email protected])

Annual Scientific Meetings

Pilot Research Symposiums

Historical Perspectives Tours

June 2, 2024 – Site visit to Boott Cotton Mill, Lowell, MA
Textiles group presentationJune 3, 2024 – Site visit to Commercial Fishing, Portland, ME
Fishing Paper group presentationJune 4, 2024 – Site visit to Huhtamaki Paper Products
Paper manufacturing group presentationJune 5, 2024 – Site visit to Rock of Ages Quarry, Barre, VT
Site visit to Hope Cemetery
Granite quarry group presentation

Federal Agencies & Resources

State & Regional Resources

Online Reference Tools

Organized by:
New York and New Jersey Education and Research Center
NIEHS New York Training Center in Emerging Technologies in Industrial Hygiene

Organized by:
New York and New Jersey Education and Research Center
NIEHS New York Training Center in Emerging Technologies in Industrial Hygiene
Mount Sinai Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Exposomics
Conduits: Mount Sinai Health System Translational Science Hub
Mount Sinai Center for Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS)

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