World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center (U54)

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, plans to establish a WTC Youth Research Coordinating Center ("Center") through a U54 cooperative agreement. In December 2022, Congress amended the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300mm–51(c)) to direct the WTC Health Program Administrator to establish a research cohort for emerging health impacts on youth. The cohort must be of sufficient size to support future research studies on the health and educational impacts of exposures resulting from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (9/11). The overall purpose of the Center is to: • Establish and maintain a WTC Youth Research Cohort of individuals who were: • 21 years of age or younger at the time of 9/11 exposure, including those exposed in utero. • Within a certain distance of the WTC site on and after 9/11. • Develop and implement research on the long-term health and educational (including developmental and cognitive) impacts of individuals exposed at a young age to 9/11. The Center will integrate multidisciplinary expertise in epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, information technology and data management, community-engaged recruitment and research, and related disciplines. Community engagement and effective stakeholder communication will be central to all Center activities. The Center will support four functional core activities: • Planning, Administration, and Evaluation. • Information Technology (IT) and Data Management. • Communication, Outreach, and Community Engagement. • Research and Related Activities. The expected public health impact includes addressing gaps in knowledge about the health and educational impacts associated with 9/11 among individuals exposed in utero or at a young age. It also includes improving understanding of the long-term effects of 9/11 exposures across the lifespan.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Applicants may not include foreign components, as defined in the HHS Grants Policy Statement. Applicants may include collaborators or consultants from foreign institutions.

The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of: (1) the scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; (2) the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; (3) the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; (4) the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; (5) the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and (6) the relevance and importance to stated program objectives. Training Grants: Criteria used in evaluating training proposals include: (1) Overall potential contribution of the project toward meeting program objectives; (2) the need for training in the areas outlined in the application; (3) curriculum content and design; (4) previous record of training; (5) evaluation methods; (6) experience and training of the project director and staff; (7) institutional commitment; (8) academic and physical environment; (9) past performance; and (10) appropriateness of budget. The following criteria will be used in considering the scientific and technical merit of SBIR Phase I grant applications: (1) The soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; (2) the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; (3) the technological innovation of the proposed research; (4) the potential of the proposed research for commercial application; (5) the appropriateness...