Welcome to the September edition of the PEPH Newsletter!

This month, we will share highlights from the informative and inspiring Environmental Health Disparities and Environmental Justice meeting, held in July. We want thank everyone who attended for their commitment and effort – the meeting was quite the success! We also feature many resources and opportunities that will help you continue your environmental justice efforts. Check out the HHS environmental justice Web page to see how the department and other federal agencies are re-invigorating environmental justice efforts. Join a webinar to learn about a new Citizen Science Association and ways for you to get involved. In addition, submit a paper for a special issue of the International Public Health Journal to share your story about improving public health in a community where you work.

Do you have an event or announcement to share with the PEPH community? Send us your news for the next issue of the PEPH Newsletter (peph@niehs.nih.gov)!

This Month:

- Meeting Addresses Environmental Health Disparities and Environmental Justice
- PEPH Webinar Empowering Our Youth to Address Environmental Public Health
- Community Involvement in Research Training
- PEPH Podcast: Environmental Health in the Nail Salon
- Upcoming PEPH-related Meetings
- Advancing EJ at HHS
- New Citizen Science Association Webinar
- EPA/NIEHS Webinar on Asthma
- EPA's New Children and Environment Website
- Funding Opportunities
- Call for Papers for special issue of International Public Health Journal

Successful Meeting to Address Environmental Health Disparities and Environmental Justice

On July 29-31, 2013, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), along with several federal partners, hosted a meeting focused on EHD and EJ to build upon collective work, strengthen partnerships, identify historical issues that require attention, note emerging issues, and outline next steps to move forward. Over 200 researchers, community members, healthcare professionals, and government representatives gathered at NIEHS in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina for the event, which included general sessions, group discussions, a poster session, and hands-on workshops.

Important crosscutting issues and recommendations emerged from the concurrent sessions. Tools, capacity building, cultural awareness, and funding challenges were a few of the key topics.

Poster presentations stimulated conversations among meeting participants that came from different grant programs. 35 posters highlighted community-engaged research projects, practical approaches for collaboration, and many other topics.

Interactive workshops enabled participants to share and learn specific ideas to apply to their work.

The enthusiasm at the end of the meeting was great to see. For more information, check out the following articles: Partners Advance Justice and Parity in Environmental Public Health and Stakeholders Weigh In on Environmental Public Health.

Two Upcoming PEPH Webinars

"Personal Monitoring Devices and Community-Engaged Research" will describe environmental monitoring devices being used today, as well as opportunities for the future. The webinar will be held September 13, 2013 from 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET. Register online.

"Empowering Our Youth to Address Environmental Public Health" will highlight three different projects that have worked with youth to increase their awareness of the connection between environmental exposures and health and to build their skills to be involved in the full spectrum of research. The webinar will be held September 23, 2013 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET. Register online.

Upcoming PEPH-related Meetings

September 24-25, 2013: "National Health Impact Assessment Meeting" in Washington, D.C. Register online.

September 24-27, 2013: "International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health" in Honolulu, Hawaii. Register online.

October 18-19, 2013: "North Carolina Environmental Justice Network Annual Summit" in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Submit abstracts for research presentations to steve_wing@unc.edu by September 5, 2013.

October 29-30, 2013: "EPA/NIEHS Children's Centers Annual Progress Review Conference" in Washington, D.C. Come celebrate the work of the EPA/NIEHS Children's Centers program and discuss recent developments in children's environmental health. Register online.

November 2-6, 2013: "American Public Health Association Annual Meeting" in Boston, Massachusetts. As always, there are many sessions focused on community engagement and environmental health. Learn more about CBPR or community perceptions about hydraulic fracturing. If you are attending APHA and are presenting, please let us know. Register online.

March 5-7, 2014: Share your innovative community health improvement project at the next Association for Community Health Improvement conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference theme is "Succeeding in the Second Curve - The Critical Role of Community in Moving from Individual to Population Health." Session and poster proposals are due by September 20, 2013.

April 30 - May 3, 2014: Save the date for the next "Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) Conference." The conference theme is "From Rhetoric to Reality: Achieving Authentic, Equitable & Transformative Partnerships." Poster or session proposals are due by September 30, 2013, and registration opens December 2013. Visit the CCPH website for more information.

Community Involvement in Research Training

CIRTification was highlighted at the Environmental Health Disparities and Environmental Justice meeting in July as a training program in human research protections that is tailored to the unique roles of community research partners. This train-the-trainer program is designed to enhance community resident contributions to the research process. Learn more and download the curriculum today.

Advancing EJ at HHS

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to ensure that all Americans have a clean, safe, and healthy environment. Visit the HHS Environmental Justice Web page to read the 2012 HHS Environmental Justice Strategy and Implementation Plan and to see how the NIEHS, CDC, and other federal agencies are leading the EJ effort. One program already making a difference is the NIEHS Minority Worker Training Program, which has awarded grants in more than 30 U.S. communities near hazardous waste sites in order to recruit and train individuals for employment in environmental remediation.

Children's Environmental Health Webinar on Asthma

This month's EPA/NIEHS Children's Centers webinar on Asthma features Andrew Liu, M.D., and David Schwartz, M.D., from National Jewish Health and Rob McConnell, M.D., from the University of Southern California. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET. Register online.

EPA's New Children and Environment Website

A new America's Children and the Environment (ACE3) website helps break down EPA's third edition of the ACE3 report, published in January 2013. The website makes the three ACE3 national indicators -- environments and contaminants, biomonitoring, and health -- easily accessible. Beginning in 2014, the website will be updated as new data emerge.

International Public Health Journal Call for Papers

The International Public Health Journal is requesting submissions for a special issue on "contributions of inter-professional collaborations in improving community-based public health and/or healthcare issues." The theme is intended to share evidence-based and practical solutions that have improved health in diverse communities. Manuscripts should be approximately 4,000 words in length and in Vancouver style. Send submissions to Guest Editor Rosemary M. Caron by December 15, 2013. The expected publication of this special issue is July-September 2014.

PEPH Podcast on Environmental Health in the Nail Salon

Workers in the booming nail care industry -- and their customers -- may be exposed to compounds that have been linked with cancer, lung irritation, and reproductive health problems. A new podcast in the PEPH Environmental Health Chat series features Thu Quach, Ph.D., discussing the latest research on environmental exposures in the nail salon. Visit the Environmental Health Chat Web page or subscribe to the series on iTunes to listen to more podcasts.

Webinar on a New Association for Citizen Science

As PEPH partners, we encourage and value public participation in scientific research. A new Citizen Science Association was formed in 2012 to support and advance the rapid increase of citizen and community involvement in research. Join on a webinar that will share the status of the developing Association, provide an overview of work by four steering committees, and outline opportunities for getting involved in next steps. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 from 1:00-2:30p.m. ET. Register online.

Funding Opportunities

Visit the PEPH Funding Opportunity Announcements page for more PEPH-related funding opportunities.

Interventions for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Native American Populations (R01). Deadlines: Letter of Intent April 15, 2014; Application May 15, 2014.

Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01 and R21). Deadlines: October 5, 2013 (R01); October 16, 2013 (R21).

Toyota U.S.A. Foundation - K-12 Education Grants. Committed to enhancing K-12 math, science, and environmental science education. There is no application deadline. Only 501(c)(3) organizations can apply.

Susceptibility and Variability in Human Response to Chemical Exposure. Deadline: September 10, 2013.

Healthy Schools: Environmental Factors, Children's Health and Performance, and Sustainable Building Practices. To understand the relationship between environmental factors and the health, safety, and performance of students and teachers. Deadline: October 8, 2013.

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