Project Summary (2006-2011)

The objective of this program is to provide training that improves the ability of researchers and/or practitioners to apply scientific knowledge to prevent and mitigate environmental degradation and exposures to adverse environmental conditions. The training program emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of environmental health issues and problems, the importance of considering preventive strategies in addition to remedial ones, and the application and translation of scientific knowledge in settings where it can make a difference to protect public health. The specific goals are to:

1. Train graduate students to understand the interdisciplinary context for assessing, solving, and preventing environmental health problems. Trainees complete a program of study that provides a breadth of background in biomedical and non-biomedical disciplines, as well as depth in their particular disciplines.
2. Train graduate students and post-doctoral scholars to apply technical knowledge to address and prevent real world problems. Trainees enroll in an interdisciplinary course (PH 271 E) on the application of scientific knowledge in policy and intervention contexts that also teaches communications skills needed to translate technical information for diverse audiences.
3. Engage graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and investigators in interdisciplinary discussions of how current findings in science and technology innovations can be translated into terms that can be useful to those who can adopt or influence policies or take actions to prevent or remediate contamination and promote public health. This is done through a colloquium series.
4. Provide opportunities for trainees to participate in projects of the Research Translation Core that synthesizes and assesses scientific knowledge on key areas and to interact with audiences for translation relevant to the SBRP.
5. Provide support for intensive training in translation for three graduate students per year, two engaged in the translation of innovative technologies between laboratories and field applications.