Skip Navigation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Superfund Research Program

Administrative Core

Project Leader: Bevin P. Engelward
Grant Number: P42ES027707
Funding Period: 2022-2027
View this project in the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)

Project-Specific Links

Connect with the Grant Recipients

Visit the grantee's eNewsletter page Visit the grantee's Twitter page

Project Summary (2022-2027)

N-nitrosamines are a family of chemicals that include some of the most potent mutagens known. N-nitrosamines are a major concern for people who live near the Olin Chemical Superfund Site, which is contaminated with millions of gallons of waste containing high levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen. NDMA is also a concern of the Passamaquoddy Tribe because the water treatment methods used for their drinking water are known to lead to formation of NDMA. The mission of the Administrative Core is to enable a Systems Approach wherein the impact on public health is made possible via a network of interactions and interdependencies among Projects, Cores, and stakeholders. The resulting “Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Interactome” results from research meetings, enrichment activities, workshops, retreats, poster sessions, trainee collaboration meetings, and meetings with stakeholders. Team building is further strengthened via adoption and enhancement of team science values. Translation is fostered via support of project and core leaders in developing and executing their Investigator Initiated Research Translation plans and by continual input and suggestions from the Administrative Core leadership, and in particular the Research Translation Coordinator.

In addition to its Systems Approach, other innovative goals include facilitation of bidirectional communication with the National Toxicology Program to enable the MIT team to cater technologies to meet the needs for high-throughput screens for chemical safety and working with the Community Engagement Core (CEC) to deploy N-nitrosamine sensors and remediation devices that destroy N-nitrosamines. Aim 1 is to lead and coordinate to achieve a robust programmatic “MIT SRP Interactome” that gives rise to results and deliverables that contribute to the protection of human health from hazardous substances. Aim 2 is to partner and promote by translating knowledge and technologies to local, state, national, and tribal organizations. Aim 3 is to achieve a broader impact via dissemination of knowledge and by building a better future for the next generation of leaders in environmental health sciences. Communication and data sharing is further strengthened by the Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC), which delivers computational methods for integrating data streams from across disciplines in order to contribute to a better understanding of risk, improved ability to predict disease, and new opportunities for interventions. The Administrative Core also works closely with the Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC) to coordinate training and support for trainees. Taken together, the Administrative Core is the cog that drives the program forward by creating tight collaborations and interdependencies within the MIT SRP and with its local, state, and national stakeholders, that together enable MIT SRP solutions that give rise to improved public health.

Back
to Top