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Editor: Kelly Sprute Feb. 21,
2018
Making a Difference
Improving Protective Equipment for Hazardous
Occupations
Firefighters, police officers, military personnel,
healthcare professionals, pesticide handlers, and many others perform their
jobs in hazardous environments. Though these workers wear protective gear, it
is often poorly ventilated, bulky, and difficult to get on and off, impeding
performance and causing injuries. Improving protective gear is key to keeping
workers, and the citizens who depend on them, safe.
Scientists at land-grant universities across the United
States are working together to improve protective gear. Through collaboration,
researchers are able to draw on each other’s expertise, make the most of
limited resources like cutting-edge tools, gather and compare data from more populations,
and make significant advances. Over the last five years, group members
developed reliable ways to use body scan and motion capture technology to
evaluate gear issues for firefighters, mountain rescue workers, and pesticide
handlers. Colorado State University used these tools to identify apparel
and footwear needs for physically disabled and overweight people. Other
researchers developed state-of-the-art textiles and sensors for innovative
protective gear. The group’s work has led to new international standards and
size and fit guidelines for enhanced safety, comfort, and performance. Read
the full Multistate Research Fund Impacts article.
Pictured top left
going counter clockwise: Different levels of protection provided by an NC170 researcher
at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Second image, iStock firefighters.
Third image, iStock hazmat suit. Fourth image, NC170_female military armor photo
taken by Dave Kamm of NRSDEC. The use of this image is not an endorsement from
the US Army or DOD.
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 HSI Informational
Webinar
NIFA will be holding a Hispanic-Serving
Institutions Education Grants Program (HSI) informational webinar Feb.
27 providing information regarding the program’s Fiscal Year 2018 Request for
Applications. If you have any questions, contact Dr. Irma Lawrence, national program leader. Please join us!
- Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 1:30 p.m. (EST)
- WebEx Link
- Meeting number: 960 103 786
- Call-in Number: 1-888-844-9904
- Conference Access Code: 3489410
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FCCLA Visits NIFA
NIFA’s Division of Family & Consumers Sciences
recently hosted the national officers of Family,
Career and Community Leaders of America. They met with NIFA staff and leadership
to discuss the national program and their own aspirations.
 New collection of papers
explores Northeast United States Food System, Community Engagement, and
Citizens’ Perceptions of “Regional Foods”
For seven years a multidisciplinary team of researchers
has explored the extent to which a more robust regional food system in the
Northeastern United States could improve food access in low-income communities
and improve the long-term food security of the entire Northeast. Now, in an
initial collection of three papers published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food
Systems, and Community Development, team members have summarized some
of their findings. Read the recently published papers online at Penn State College of
Agricultural Sciences.
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 NASA Internships
and Fellowships
NASA Internships and Fellowships provide students access
to a portfolio of opportunities offered agency wide. The online application for
NASA Internships and Fellowships enables students to easily access, register
and complete the application, as well as search and apply for up to 15
opportunities. A completed application places the student in the applicant pool
for consideration by all NASA mentors.The preferred audience is: high
school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The application
deadline is: March
1. Visit the Nasa Internships and Fellowships
for more information.
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NIFA Announces
Support for Improved Farm Management
NIFA announced support to improve farm management knowledge and skills of
agricultural producers. Funding is made through NIFA’s Farm Business Management
and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program (FBMB), which aims to establish and
maintain a national, publicly available farm financial management database to
support improved farm management.
FBMB supports improved farm management for producers of a variety of crops and
livestock and the establishment, or expansion, of collaborative farm management
and producer association partnerships. Read
the full request for applications announcement.
NIFA Announces
Support to Improve Community-based Programs for at risk Children, Youth, and
Families
NIFA announced support to equip at-risk children, youth, and families with the
skills they need to lead positive, productive, and contributing lives. Funding
is made through NIFA’s Children, Youth, and Families at risk Sustainable
Community Projects (CYFAR SCP) program.
CYFAR
program marshals resources of the Land-grant and Cooperative Extension
Systems (CES) so that, in collaboration with other organizations, they develop
and deliver educational curricula. The purpose of the program is to improve the
quality and quantity of comprehensive community-based programs for at-risk
communities supported by the CES. Examples of at-risk communities include those
with children and families coping with military deployments, violence, obesity,
poverty and poor school achievement, and other critical issues. Read
the full request for applications announcement.
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NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture.
If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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