Project Summary (2014-2020)

To ensure optimal and effective translation of research outputs generated by the University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center (UK-SRC), the Research Translation Core (RTC) functions as the lead UK-SRC component responsible for external linkages and active communication with diverse relevant stakeholders. The UK-SRC addresses environmental health impacts of chlorinated organics, focusing on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and trichloroethylene (TCE). The Center's five research projects are integrated around the study of specific PCBs and positive lifestyle modifications (e.g., nutrition) to tackle the four national Superfund Research Program (SRP) mandates. Specific aims explicitly address SRP program priorities.

The UK-SRP RTC:

• Works with UK-SRC projects and cores to develop an integrated program that translates program- and project-specific outcomes to appropriate stakeholders, including NIEHS SRP staff and RTCs at other SRP centers nationally. Translation mechanisms include electronic communication and participation in such SRP wide activities as workshops, seminars, webinars, and the annual meeting.
• Builds on past successes to strengthen multidirectional agency partnerships, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 4 and National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Energy via the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) National Priorities List site, the Kentucky Cabinet for Energy and the Environment, and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
• Develops targeted research translation projects that leverage existing university resources, including the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, the Cooperative Extension Service, the Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute (an EPA-designated Center for Excellence for Watershed Management), the Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and the Environment, the Public Health Practice-Based Research Network Program, and the Dissemination and Implementation Sciences Consortium. The RTC also continues supporting UK-SRC project technology implementation at the PGDP.
• Implements multidirectional strategies and best communication practices to disseminate program- and project-specific information to other end users. Communication channels include an interactive website, a risk management workshop, an expanded monthly seminar series, and targeted print and online materials related to specific research projects and emerging findings.

The RTC partners with UK resources and with other SRP RTCs to ensure broad-based information dissemination to relevant stakeholders. With the UK-SRC Community Engagement Core, the RTC establishes multidirectional relationships with two Superfund-impacted communities: 1) Dayhoit, Kentucky, in Appalachia, home to a Kentucky NPL site, and 2) Floyds Fork Watershed Community, a six-county area in central Kentucky, home to two NPL sites and near several others.