MINORITY HEALTH PROFESSIONS FOUNDATION PROGRAMS AND
OPERATIONS
| Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
|
The Minority Health Professions Foundation (MHPF) has
participated in a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) over the past 10 years.
The Environmental Health & Toxicology Research Program (EHTRP),
funded by the ATSDR as part of its Substance-Specific Applied Research
Program (SSARP), is a shining example of research collaboration
effectiveness.
As mandated by Congress, this research program was designed
to:
| • |
Fill
gaps in the scientific knowledge concerning the health impact
of the most common environmental hazardous substances. |
| • |
Strengthen
the environmental health research opportunities for scientists
and students and MHPF institutions. |
| • |
Enhance
existing disciplinary capacities to conduct research in toxicology
and environmental health. |
| • |
Contribute
to the production of outstanding environmental health professionals
committed to minority and disadvantaged populations. |
During these past years, researchers at our member institutions
addressed 14 ATSDR data needs for the following 12 priority
hazardous substances:
• Lead
• Mercury
• Benzene
• Cadmium
• Benzo [a] pyrene
• Fluoranthene
• Trichlorocthylene
• Toluene
• Zinc
• Manganese
• Chlordane
• Di-N-butylphthalate
The primary objective of the funded research projects was to understand
the linkage between the exposure to hazardous substances such as
lead, zinc, manganese, chlordane and di-N-butylphthalate and their
human health effects. The results of these studies will reduce the
uncertainties of public health assessments and will provide the
most effective measures to prevent or mitigate the adverse human
health effects of these toxic substances.
Along with developing an understanding of the linkage between exposure
to hazardous substances and their human effects, the ten-year program
provided an opportunity for the development of environmental health
science research at minority institutions. Participating institutions
have grown from zero capacity for providing quality environmental
health science research to being recognized nationally and internationally
for their accomplishments.
Some of the research conducted under this cooperative agreement
by our member institutions includes:
• Relation between lead exposure and elevated blood pressure.
-Charles R. Drew University of Medicine
& Science
-Morehouse School of Medicine
-Texas Southern University -College
of Pharmacy
-Florida A & M University - College
of Pharmacy
• Prevalence of lead exposure of minority children in selected
Atlanta Communities.
-Morehouse School of Medicine
• Identification of the mechanism of the neurotoxicity of
lead and manganese.
-Texas Southern University - College
of Pharmacy
-Florida A & M University - College
of Pharmacy
-Xavier University of LA - College
of Pharmacy
• Conduct of an environmental multimedia study of lead, cadmium,
zinc and manganese in an urban setting.
-Xavier University of LA - College
of Pharmacy
• Multigenerational Effects of Benzo [a] pyrene on reproduction.
-Meharry Medical College
• Multigenerational Effects of Zinc Chloride in Mice.
-Tuskegee University - College of
Veterinary Medicine
The Foundation and the ATSDR have recently entered into a new cooperative
agreement that will address the "Healthy People 2010"
focus areas for environmental health, health communications, maternal,
infant and child health and educational and community-based programs.
The purpose of this program is to apply findings from the previous
Environmental Health and Toxicology Research Program to impact public
health and environmental medicine in low-income and/or minority
communities. Research findings will provide critical information
necessary to address national environmental concerns, support efforts
to eliminate racial and/or ethnic disparities in health and help
achieve the Federal government's goals in environmental justice.
This program will be implemented through the research conducted
by the Foundation's member institutions. Periodic updates on the
progress of the research being conducted will be published here.
| MHPF
LOI Process (New Applications) |
Applicants interested in responding to the PEPs that have been identified
by the CDC should submit a LOI electronically to the MHPF Program
Manager specified on the form. Once the LOIs have been submitted
and reviewed, the funding agency will notify the MHPF of which applicants
have been invited to submit a full grant application. The researcher
will then be notified whether their LOI has/has not been invited
to submit a full application. For those researchers that have been
invited, please complete the PHS 398 grant application and submit
it to the MHPF electronically. Deadline to submit the application
will be given with the program announcement.
The PHS 398 form can be found at the following site.
| MHPF
Continuation Process |
All current researchers must submit a continuation application in
order to receive funding for their prospective projects for the
next fiscal year. Failure to do so will result in the project not
receiving funding. Please submit the PHS 2590 continuation application
electronically to the MHPF. Deadline to submit the application will
be given with the program announcement.
The PHS 2590 form can be found at the following site.
All continuation applications will be forwarded to the funding agency
and each researcher will be notified once funding is received. If
a request is made by the funding agency to revise a previously submitted
budget, that request must be fulfilled before the award can be issued.
Once the revised budget has been approved, an award letter will
be forwarded to the researcher.
|