U.S. EPA Aging Initiative List Serve December 2010

The Aspen Institute - an international nonprofit dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue - today unveiled a list of 10 ways the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has strengthened America over the past 40 years. The unveiling of the Aspen Institute list - which was compiled by a group of more than 20 thought leaders - kicks off a week of events to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EPA. Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson unveiled the list at the Aspen Institutes offices in Washington, DC, where he was joined by EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

"Over its 40-year history, EPA has evolved into the world's preeminent environmental regulatory agency through a balanced, three-pronged strategy, combining excellent science, regulatory enforcement, and engagement of all stakeholders in developing new solutions to environmental problems. EPA's balanced, multifaceted structure and operation sets the standard around the world for applying strong science, as well as economic incentives and disincentives, to achieve positive environmental outcomes while allowing businesses to grow and prosper," said Isaacson.

The following are highlights of EPA's 40 year history identified in the report:

Removing Lead from Gasoline-and from the Air
Removing the Acid from Rain
Clearing Secondhand Smoke
Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Control
Controlling Toxic Substances
Banning Widespread Use of DDT
Rethinking Waste as Materials
A Clean Environment for All/Environmental Justice
Cleaner Water
The "Community Right to Know" Act

A full copy of the report.

For more information about the EPA's 40th anniversary.

EPA Announces New Tool to Promote Safer Chemicals and Products

As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's commitment to strengthen and reform chemical management, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new criteria to help companies and other groups, such as states and environmental organizations, identify safer chemicals. As part of the agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) program, EPA unveiled the new criteria which are an important tool under its DfE Alternatives Assessments for identifying safer alternatives to chemicals that pose a concern to human health and the environment.

"This new approach for evaluating and identifying safer chemicals is an important step toward ensuring that that the chemicals used in this country are safe," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Making this information available will not only lead to the manufacture of safer products, it will increase the public's access to critical chemical information."

The DfE program works in partnership with industry, environmental groups, and academia to help industry choose safer alternatives to chemicals that may pose a concern to human health or the environment. Information on chemical hazards from DfE Alternatives Assessments is combined with industry data on performance and cost to guide the choice of safer alternatives. To distinguish among alternatives, DfE evaluates data for each chemical and assigns hazard levels of high, moderate, or low for human health and environmental concerns.

DfE Alternatives Assessments will be conducted for bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NP and NPEs). Both the BPA and decaBDE efforts are under way and include the use of BPA and its alternatives in thermal paper, such as cash register receipts, and the review of flame retardant alternatives to decaBDE in products such as textiles, plastic palettes, and electronics. Assessments of phthalates, the flame retardant HBCD, and NPEs will begin in 2011.

The assessments will lead to the manufacture of safer products and reduced chemical exposures.

EPA will accept comment on the criteria through January 31, 2011.

More information.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Fact sheet

Did you know that carbon monoxide (CO) is the most common cause of poisoning death in the United States? Unintentional CO poisonings are responsible for about 500 deaths and 15,000 visits to the emergency room each year. EPA has prepared a fact sheet that explains how to prevent CO poisoning and how to tell the difference between CO poisoning and the flu since many of the symptoms are similar. Soon the winter will be upon us and it is important to make sure that all interior fuel-burning appliances are in good condition and have proper ventilation.

In an effort to reach persons for whom English is a second language, this fact sheet has been translated into 16 languages.

You may order copies at no cost on our website.

More information can be found on our website.

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II. News, Research, Reports and Presentations

The Perception Factor: Climate Change Gets Personal
Cooney CM 2010. The Perception Factor: Climate Change Gets Personal. Environ Health Perspectives 118:a484-a489. doi:10.1289/ehp.118-a484

A new suite of climate change studies from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was released Summer 2010 with the stark conclusion that "Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for-and in many cases is already affecting-a broad range of human and natural systems." The NAS series received a boost from separate research indicating that up to 98% of the climate researchers most actively publishing agree with the tenets of anthropogenic climate change outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. At about the same time, however, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he couldn't find the votes to pass legislation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from major sources. This disconnect between legislators and the scientific community could be a signal that it is time for a new path toward climate change mitigation and adaptation that more directly involves the public.

Many researchers interested in global warming are wondering: just what might it take to encourage individuals in the United States to think more seriously about climate change? To find out, the NAS recommended tapping into social science, which can be used to describe people's perceptions of critical facts and their goals when making choices. This research has been under way for decades and saw a relatively small but significant boost in the 1970s during the energy crisis, says Paul Stern, director of the National Research Council Committee on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change. A January 2009 poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press discovered that global warming was a low national priority for Americans, ranking dead last behind 20 other concerns such as job loss, terrorism, Medicare, and health care. One explanation may be that in many people's minds, climate change has moved away from being a scientific debate to a political one.

In the most recent survey in June 2010, Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change, Edward Maibach, director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, polled more than 1,000 adults and found what they describe as "global warming's Six Americas." These six distinct responses to climate change range from those who are engaged with the issue and who take steps to reduce their emissions (the Alarmed) to those who actively deny the reality of climate change and don't think any action is needed (the Dismissive). The survey showed that 13% of respondents were Alarmed and eager to take action, 28% were Concerned, 24% Cautious, 10% Disengaged, 12% Doubtful, and 12% Dismissive.
Full report.

Ambient Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Venous Thromboembolism in the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy Trials
Shih RA, Griffin BA, Salkowski N, Jewell A, Eibner C, Bird CE, Liao D, Cushman M, Margolis HG, Eaton CB, Whitsel EA. Environmental Health Perspectives, [Epub, Oct. 29 2010]

The purported effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy on the association between particulate matter air pollution (PM) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) have not been assessed in a randomized trial of hormone therapy, despite its widespread use among post-menopausal women. This study examined whether hormone therapy modifies the association of PM with VTE risk. Methods: Post-menopausal women ages 50-79 (N = 26,450) without history of VTE and not taking anticoagulants were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy trials at 40 geographically diverse U.S. clinical centers and randomized to treatment with estrogen versus placebo (E trial) or to estrogen plus progestin versus placebo (E+P trial).

Results: During follow-up, 508 participants (2.0%) had VTE at a rate of 2.6 events/1,000 person-years. These findings differ from previous research. They provide little evidence of an association between short- or long-term PM exposure and VTE, or clinically important modification by randomized exposure to exogenous estrogens among post-menopausal women.
Read more...

A Break in the Continuum: Analyzing the Gap in Particle Exposure Research
Tillett T 2010. A Break in the Continuum: Analyzing the Gap in Particle Exposure Research. Environ Health Perspect 118:a543-a543. doi:10.1289/ehp.118-a543b

Researchers examined the effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) doses spanning nearly three orders of magnitude. Cardiovascular disease risks have been documented for active smoking exposures at the higher end of that continuum and for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS; sometimes called secondhand smoke) and ambient air pollution exposures at the lower end. However, there is a distinct lack of information on the cardiovascular risks of exposures in the middle range, which are experienced by hundreds of millions of people who burn biomass and coal indoors. A new commentary analyzes the implications of this crucial knowledge gap [EHP 118(12):1643-1645; Smith and Peel].

The authors note that plots of average inhaled doses of PM2.5 and associated cardiovascular health risks in the literature reveal a highly nonlinear exposure response. That is, exposure to ETS and ambient air pollution yield higher risks of heart disease than might be expected on the basis of exposure risks of active smokers. The gap in studies of exposures greater than those from ETS but less than those from active smoking reflects a dose range of 1-20 mg/day. Filling in the missing information for this gap should receive research priority, the authors write, because of the potentially large cardiovascular disease health burden it represents, particularly for the people worldwide who burn biomass for household cooking and heating.
Read more...

PowerPoint Posted Presentations
A number of new presentations were posted on our website from annual meetings of the American public Health Association, and the Gerontological Society of America. To condense these presentations, they have been saved as pdfs. If you plan to use any of the material or data please be sure to give credit to the authors.
Read more...

The Effects of Green Streets on Older Adults' Physical and Mental Health
Margaret Neal, PhD, Jennifer Dill, PhD, Gretchen Luhr, Doctoral Candidate, Arlie Adkins, Doctoral Student, Vivek Shandas, PhD, Darin Lund, MPH Candidate, Portland State University
Read more...

The EPA Model and Philadelphia
Kate Clark, MPA, Allen Glicksman, PhD, David Nevison, MSS & MBA Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
Read more...

EnCorps Leadership Corps: Design and Implementation Strategies for Engaging Older Adult Volunteers as Environmental
Jennifer Crittenden, MSW, Amanda Chamberlain, BSW, Lenard W. Kaye, DSW/PhD, University of Maine Center on Aging
Read more...

The HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Abby Hugill, Healthy Homes Representative, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read more...

Sustainable Communities: Progress from Federal Partners
Lynn Richards, Policy Director, U.S. EPA, Office of Sustainable Communities
Read more...

Making "Sustainable Communities" for People of All Ages
Rodney Harrell, PhD, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP Public Policy Institute
Read more...

2010 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting
Environmental Heath Threats to Older Adults and Policy Solutions, November 9, 2010
Read more...

Climate Change, Environmental Health and Older Adults
Kathy Sykes, Senior Advisor, U.S. EPA Aging Initiative
Read more...

Creating Change: Environmental Policy Initiatives & Tools to Support Healthy Aging
Rebecca Hunter, M.Ed.
Read more...

Neighborhood Built Environment and Mobility in Older Populations: A Review Evaluation of Proposed Implied Policies
William A. Satariano, Ph.D., MPH
Read more ...

Building Capacity for Environmental Policy Change to Support Healthy Aging
Basia Belza, PhD, RN, FAAN
Read more...

Considerations for the Aging Workforce
David H. Wegman, MD, MSc
Read more...

Healthy Aging And Where You Live: Community Design Relationships with Physical Activity and Body Weight in Older Americans
Dr. Lawrence Frank, University of British Columbia
Read more...

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III. New Resources and Opportunities

Rapid Population Aging Will Raise Critical Challenges for Asian Governments, Says Report Released at International Conference in China
A new report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Indonesian Academy of Sciences, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the Science Council of Japan finds that while the percentage of older adults in nearly every nation is growing, this aging trend is particularly stark in parts of Asia. For example, projections suggest that for the population age 65 and older will more than triple in China, India, and Indonesia and more than double in Japan between 2000 and 2050, based on data from the United Nations. Moreover, this demographic shift is coinciding with dramatic economic and social changes in Asia, including changing family structures and large-scale migrations from rural to urban areas.

Responding to the challenges posed by a rapidly aging population will be one of the most difficult tasks for Asian governments in the first half of this century, says a report released today by.
Read more...

Healthy and Safe Homes Book Offers First Comprehensive Look at the Connection between Health and Housing
At the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting in November, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), the Centers for Disease Control, and the Home Safety Council unveiled Healthy and Safe Homes: Research, Practice, and Policy released a book that is the first of its kind, exploring connections between housing conditions and health, and proposing holistic, sustainable strategies for making healthy housing a reality for people of all income levels.

NCHH is the leading nonprofit organization for research, policy advocacy and training on the connection between health and housing and a proven partner in the effort to make healthy and safe housing accessible for the six million U.S. families currently living in substandard housing. In addition to releasing the first comprehensive book on the topic of healthy housing, NCHH has been at the forefront of advocating for policies to support every family's right to quality, affordable housing.

"A healthy home is a first step in creating a nation of healthier people and we hope the strategic solutions offered in this book will help make healthy housing available for all," said Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing and one of the book's editors.

Co-edited by Angela Mickalide, PhD, CHES (HSC) and Karin Mack, PhD (CDC), the book draws together perspectives from leading scientists, public health experts, housing advocates and policy leaders. The book's 10 chapters, written by nineteen of the nation's leading experts in the area of healthy and safe homes, explain the connections between housing conditions and health, and offers practical tools and information for public health and housing practitioners and policy makers.

Healthy and Safe Homes: Research, Practice, and Policy is published by American Public Health Association (APHA) Press and was selected as APHA's November Book of the Month. Healthy and Safe Homes: Research, Practice, and Policy is available online at the APHA Bookstore.

To learn more about the National Center for Healthy Housing.

Launch Pad Contest for Persons 45 and Older
Launch Pad is a new contest where people over the age of 45 can submit an idea to improve their community. Whether your idea is large or small doesn't matter. What counts is the kind of difference you can make in the lives of others. Five people with great ideas will win $5,000. This is a unique contest and opportunity to change the world -- starting in your local community. Explore the Launch Pad today. Submissions are due by December 20th.
Read more...

Family Matters: Public Policy and the Interdependence of Generations
Our families, our society, and our economy are in trouble. One in five children lives in poverty. More than a third of older adults have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line. The U.S. is still in a recession, a recession that has highlighted how important the generations are to each other. Child, parent, and grandparent are coming back together and living in the same home, dependent on each other for financial support and caregiving. To read more about the interdependence of the generations see the Generations United report.

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IV. Building Healthy Communities - Sustainable Communities

EPA Recognizes Sustainable Communities with Smart Growth Awards
On December 1st, EPA recognized five projects with the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement for their comprehensive approach to improving quality of life. The projects make cities safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and bicyclists, manage growth to ensure long-term prosperity and health, and revitalize existing neighborhoods to provide new opportunities.

"We have a vision of American communities that are clean, healthy, environmentally responsible and economically resilient," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "The amazing work of the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement winners brings us closer to realizing that vision, and helps everyone - from government and business to everyday citizens - take part in addressing the urgent environmental and economic challenges we face as a nation."

The recipients of the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement are:

Overall Excellence: Smart.Growth@NYC, New York, New York
PlaNYC 2030, New York City's blueprint for planning future growth, provided the inspiration for multi-agency coordination on innovative policies and projects to improve the quality of life in the city. PlaNYC prepares for more population while adding small public spaces throughout the city, improving air and water quality, and improving public health with better access to fresh food and more options for walking and biking.
Smart Growth and Green Building: Miller's Court, Baltimore, Maryland
Miller's Court, a renovated tin can factory, offers new housing and commercial space in the center of a neighborhood that is gaining new life as a thriving, convenient urban setting. The project has spurred new economic activity nearby, from a small boutique bakery to a 200,000-square-foot retail and office development.
Policies, Programs, & Regulations: 2040 Growth Concept, Portland Metro, Oregon
Metro, the elected regional government of the Portland, Oregon, area, is making sure that future population growth can be accommodated through its "Making the Greatest Place" effort. Building on the 2040 Growth Concept, this effort helps protect current and future residents' quality of life by providing access to transportation choices, investing in compact communities, and preserving farms and forests.
Rural Smart Growth: The Gateway 1 Corridor Action Plan, Maine
The Gateway 1 Corridor Action Plan covers a 100-mile stretch of Maine's central coast along U.S. Route 1, from Brunswick to Stockton Springs. The collective effort by 20 towns to protect rural and scenic resources is a noteworthy achievement to preserve the environment and strengthen the economy along this regionally significant corridor.
Civic Places: Mint Plaza, San Francisco, California
Mint Plaza, in downtown San Francisco, is a formerly dilapidated city-owned alley converted into a public plaza and festival space with an innovative stormwater system. The project's contemporary design respects its historic context while also providing a flexible public space for the surrounding neighborhood that brings people together.

These award winners embody the principles behind EPA's work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The agencies are improving access to affordable housing and providing more transportation options and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment. By investing in existing communities and valuing the unique assets found in rural, suburban and urban settings, they are also finding ways to spur new economic development and opportunity.

More information on the winners.

More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

Save the Date: 10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Registration is now open for the 10th annual conference of New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities. Take in some southern charm in Charlotte, NC February 3-5, 2011. Join planner, public health professionals and elected local government officials from across the country who are working together to find innovative ways to finance smart growth, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, expand transportation and housing for all Americans and meet the needs of a growing aging population.
Read more...

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V. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Pharmaceutical Factories as a Source of Drugs in Water
Kessler R 2010. Pharmaceutical Factories as a Source of Drugs in Water. Environ Health Perspect 118:a383-a383. doi:10.1289/ehp.118-a383

Low levels of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) turning up in natural waterways and drinking water supplies are coming under increasing scrutiny for their potential health effects on people and wildlife. Human waste has been identified as the main source of these pharmaceuticals, along with the common practice of flushing unused medications down the toilet. Now, a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) highlights a largely overlooked contributor: pharmaceutical manufacturers.1 Effluent from two U.S. wastewater treatment plants that received discharge from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities had levels of seven APIs that were 10-1,000 times higher than effluent from plants that received no such waste.

Between 2004 and 2009, USGS researchers sampled effluent and receiving water downstream from three wastewater treatment plants in New York State. Two of the plants received about 20% of their waste from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; the other received none. Researchers also collected effluent samples from 23 treatment plants around the nation that did not serve pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The researchers analyzed the samples for seven APIs. In effluent from the two treatment plants serving pharmaceutical manufacturers, median concentrations of the most common APIs ranged from 2 to 400 ?g/L. The researchers also found surprisingly high maximum concentrations of 1,700 ?g/L for oxycodone and 3,800 ?g/L for metaxalone. Moreover, low levels of two of the APIs turned up in a drinking water reservoir 30 km downstream from one plant. By contrast, in effluent from treatment plants with no pharmaceutical manufacturers among their clientele, concentrations of individual APIs rarely exceeded 1 ?g/L, a figure that aligns with previous findings from treatment plant effluent in the United States and Europe.

According to the authors, the USGS study is the first to directly link high concentrations of APIs in water to pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United States. This study follows a 2007 report of unprecedentedly high levels of API residues in effluent from an Indian treatment plant serving some 90 pharmaceutical manufacturers. The antibiotic ciprofloxacin occurred at levels up to 31,000 ?g/L-more concentrated than the maximum therapeutic levels in human plasma.
Read more...

Frequent Questions for Pharmaceutical Collection Events
The National Take-Back Day on September 25, 2010, was an initiative of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in coordination with state and local law enforcement agencies. This nationwide event gave the public the opportunity to safely dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceuticals found in their homes. Collection sites were located throughout the country. Other organizations also sponsor pharmaceutical take back events and municipalities may accept pharmaceuticals as part of their household hazardous waste collection efforts.
For more information.

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VI. Intergenerational Activities

2010 Rachel Carson Poetry, Essay, Photography and Dance Contest
Last month, the winners of the 2010 Rachel Carson Intergenerational contest were selected by popular vote. More than 2,200 individuals from around the country and world cast their ballots for the winners. The fourth annual intergenerational contest reflects Carson's efforts through her writings to have adults share with children a sense of wonder about nature and help them discover its joys. The winners include a poem called "Healing Sea;" a mixed media entry entitled "Five Senses of the Ocean;" an essay titled "Fairys;" and a photo of trees on a farm in Kentucky; and a dance video entitled "Meeting of Land and Water."

Intergenerational teams, of all ages explored the natural world to create their projects. Finalists in each category were selected by an intergenerational team of judges. The finalists' creative works were judged based on originality, intergenerational teamwork and how the project brought the team in touch with the natural world. The contest was sponsored by EPA, Generations United, the Dance Exchange, Inc. and the Rachel Carson Council Inc. Rachel Carson is considered the founder of the contemporary environmental movement. Read more...

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VII. EPA Funding Opportunities

8th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3)
The U.S. EPA, as part of the P3 Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Awards program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of economic prosperity, protection of the planet, and improved quality of life for its people — people, prosperity, and the planet — the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability.
Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.
Deadline: December 22, 2010. Read more...

2011 Environmental Education Grants
EPA is currently working on the Requests for Proposals program. The requests are to be released. It is expected to be released in January. Please sign up by clicking the blue button to the right to be electronically notified when the RFPs are available.
Read more...

US-Mexico Border Environmental Education, Outreach and Support Program
This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities (See Section III) for creation and management of an environmental education outreach program in the US section of the US Mexico Border region designed to reach K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students and provide training to assist them in pursuing careers in air quality management, and increase their awareness and understanding of environmental risks stemming from air pollution and related environmental justice concerns.
Deadline: January 10, 2011. Read more...

Sustainable Chesapeake: A Collaborative Approach to Urban Stormwater Management
EPA is seeking proposals for integrated, transdisciplinary research centers that will advance scientific understanding of how to influence human and institutional behavior to prevent pollution from entering Chesapeake Bay. Presidential Executive Order 13508 (Executive Order, 2010) directs the Federal government to lead efforts to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay. To that end, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications for "Sustainable Chesapeake" Research Centers to explore sustainable urban stormwater management. EPA is specifically interested in supporting research to identify new, collaborative approaches to reduce urban stormwater inputs into Chesapeake Bay.

Each Center research project should include three components: physical/biological science, social science, and measures of success or progress. Research areas of interest include: applying existing stormwater-reduction techniques in new ways; developing new techniques and technologies; identifying the reasons existing strategies to restore or protect the Chesapeake Bay have succeeded or failed; developing methods and metrics to document water-quality improvements in Chesapeake Bay tributaries; and developing sector-specific strategies such as for residential areas, industrial settings, commercial developments, or transportation infrastructure.
Deadline: January 31, 2011. Read more...

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VIII. Fellowships and Other Funding Opportunities

Assistantships: The College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities at Clemson University
The College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities at Clemson University is accepting applications for five three-year assistantships for the pursuit of the Ph.D. degree in Planning, Design, and the Built Environment. The fellowship provides a stipend of $18,800 payable per year plus tuition, and may be renewed for up to two years. For more information on the program, please feel free to contact Mickey Lauria, mlauria@clemson.edu
Deadline: The program has a rolling admissions process, but will begin reviewing applications around the 5th of January 2011.

Request for Applications, Public Health Prevention Service 2010 Class Field Assignments
CDC's Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS) is pleased to announce a request for applications (RFA) for 2-year field assignments. The deadline for the two-page Letter of Intent (LOI) is January 10, 2011 (midnight EST). Organizations with accepted LOIs will be invited to submit a full application detailing the assignment, due March 16, 2011. Field assignments begin October 2011 and end October 2013. RFA and related guidance is available on the PHPS Internet site. For more information about requesting and mentoring a PHPS fellow, please contact Cindi Melanson at 404-498-6120, or via e-mail PHPSAssignments@cdc.gov.
Deadline for Letter of Intent: January 10, 2011.

Applications For American Society on Aging's New Ventures in Leadership
The American Society on Aging (ASA) is accepting applications until February 15, 2011for the 2011-2012 class of New Ventures in Leadership (NVL), a leadership development program for professionals of color in aging. NVL's 12-month program offers high-level management and skills development to participants, as well as opportunities to build a network of mentors and leaders. Since its inception in 1993, the program has graduated more than 330 program partners. NVL is the only program in the field of aging that is designed to develop the next generation of leaders of color—individuals who are committed to meeting the needs of older adults, including elders of color.

Through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NVL partners can apply for scholarships to learn about aging and philanthropy by attending the GIA annual conference and share their valuable perspectives as professionals working day-to-day in the field. Additional information about the program, as well as application materials, is available on the NVL website.
Deadline: February 15, 2011. Read more...

National Institutes of Health: Deepwater Horizon Disaster Research Consortia: Health Impacts and Community Resiliency (U19)
The NIH solicits applications to: 1) examine impacts of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster on health, illness and quality of life for the general population residing in the Gulf coast region; and 2) increase the scientific evidence base needed to strengthen the resiliency of vulnerable populations along the Gulf coast to prepare for and recover from the effects of the DWH and similar disasters. In addition to the potential for exposure to oil, dispersants and other chemical mixtures, residents in the Gulf region are experiencing economic hardship, job loss, resettlements and other forms of psychological distress which may all adversely impact health and quality of life.

The intent of this RFA is to create one or more community-based participatory research consortia of university-community partnerships to address health issues of concern to the residents of the Gulf States affected by the DWH disaster and to enhance capacity to respond to potential future disasters and prevent or minimize adverse health effects arising from them.

By developing multi-project programs of basic and applied research, that may include population and associated laboratory-based research projects, it is anticipated that the interplay and impact of multiple stressors on human health and well-being and potential underlying mechanisms will be better understood. In addition, findings will establish the evidence base needed to inform recovery and to develop strategies to prevent illness and promote the health and well-being of populations in this and future man-made or natural disasters. Letter of Intent Due: December 21, 2010. Application Deadline: January 21, 2011. Read more...

The NIH will commit approximately $5 million to this funding initiative in 2011, allowing the support of 8-9 new R01 applications, for a total of approximately $24 million over the next 5 years.
Deadline: January 6, 2011. Read More...

Climate Change and Health: Assessing and Modeling Population Vulnerability to Climate Change (R21)
This Funding Opportunity Announcement is issued by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with participation from the following NIH components: FIC, NCI, NCMHD NHLBI, NIA, NIBIB, NICHD, NLM and OBSSR. It encourages research applications to examine the differential risk factors of populations that lead to or are associated with increased vulnerability to exposures, diseases and other adverse health outcomes related to climate change.

Applications may involve either applied research studies that address specific hypotheses about risk factors or population characteristics associated with increased vulnerability, or research projects to develop general models or methods for identifying and characterizing population vulnerability to climate change. The ultimate goal of this research program is to help inform climate change adaptation and public health interventions to reduce current and future vulnerability of various populations to the health effects of climate change. Applications are anticipated to involve a multidisciplinary research team, including experts in health sciences and climatology as well as geography, modeling, statistics, demography, and social and behavioral sciences as appropriate. In addition, partnerships with community-based or advocacy organizations, public health officials, urban planners and others are encouraged.
Deadline: May 24, 2012. Read more...

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IX. 2011 Calendar of Events & Meetings

January 2011

January is Radon Awareness Month
You can't see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 20,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools, and other buildings for radon. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk, and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family.
Learn more about radon.

February, 2011

American Heart Disease Awareness Month
http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/american-heart-month.html

New Partners for Smart Growth Annual Conference
February 3-5, 2011
Charlotte, NC
http://www.newpartners.org/

Great Backyard Bird Count
Feb 18-21, 2011
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

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March 2011

National Poison Prevention Month
http://www.poisonprevention.org/poison.htm

Women's History Month
http://womenshistorymonth.gov/

Save Your Vision Month
http://www.aoa.org/x5072.xml

Groundwater Awareness Week
March 6-12, 2011
http://www.ngwa.org/public/awarenessweek/index.aspx

Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) Annual Conference
March 17-20, 2011
Cincinnati, OH
http://www.aghe.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=40634&PID=500208

World Water Day
March 22, 2011
http://www.worldwaterday.org/

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April 2011

Brownfields Annual Conference
April 3-5, 2011
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/bfconf.htm

American Planning Association Annual Conference
April 9-12, 2011
http://www.planning.org/conference/index.htm

Society for Human Ecology XVIIIth International Conference
Human Responsibility & Environmental Change: Planning, Process, and Policy
April 20-23, 2011
Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.societyforhumanecology.org

Earth Day
April 22, 2011

American Society on Aging /National Council on Aging Annual Conference
April 26-30
San Francisco, CA
http://www.agingconference.org/AiA11/index.cfm

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U.S. EPA Aging Initiative List Serve December 2010

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