Proposal Deadline: February 28, 2020
Overview of Program
The Ohio Occupational Safety and Health Research Program, hereafter the “Program,” is administered by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). It is a competitive research program with an emphasis on maximizing the impact of research efforts in the areas of occupational safety and health on the overall safety, health, productivity, and competitiveness of Ohio’s workforce. BWC has modeled the program, with minor modifications, after the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). The program provides funding for research projects up to $250,000 per project. The duration of each research project is limited to 12 to 24 months. The program is an open competition for researchers in Ohio’s not-for-profit higher education institutions and research organizations.
Priority research focus areas include:
- Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders
- Prevention of injuries/illnesses/fatalities
- Use of technological interventions to improve occupational safety and health
- Reduction of injury rates and duration of disability using health and wellness program interventions
- Integration of workers’ health and wellness into occupational safety and health programs
- Prevention of suicide and assisting the mental health of workers
- Prevention of long-term disability among injured workers after their injury
- Prevention of injuries related to lack of awareness or impairment due to prescription medication, drugs of abuse, or other causes
- Prevention of opioid abuse among injured workers and/or at-risk populations in the workforce
While the above list represents the program priorities, other types of proposals addressing occupational safety and health, reducing accidents and injuries, and disability prevention among injured workers will be accepted for review and evaluation.
Additional information can be found the OH Bureau of Worker’s Compensation.