NIOSH Extramural Research and Training Programs

The NIOSH Office of Extramural Programs

Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Extramural Programs is to lead and support national occupational safety and health research and training programs reduce work-related injuries and illnesses through a diversified portfolio of high quality extramural research, education, and training in collaboration with global partners.

Organization and Staffing of OEP

To facilitate the management of the extramural grant and cooperative agreement portfolios, NIOSH has established the Office of Extramural Programs (OEP). The OEP is under the direction of the Associate Director for Research Integration and Extramural Performance, which reflects the Institute’s commitment to integrating research activities across NIOSH and to performance assessment of extramural research.  OEP is located within the NIOSH Office of the Director. The OEP staff provides leadership to the review and program management activities as outlined below. To contact any of the OEP staff, please click on their name.

Associate Director for Research Integration and Extramural Performance - Sarah A. Felknor, MS, DrPH

Office of Extramural Programs (404)-498-2530

Director of OEP - W. Allen Robison, Ph.D.
Operations Assistant - Regina Emerson
Program Operations Assistant - Geneva Cashaw

Program Analysis/Translation Coordination

Public Health Analyst - Stephanie Shack
Program Assistant - Antwana Phillips
Program Technical Assistant - Stephanie Simmelkjaer

Research and Training Program Administration:

Program Branch Chief - Adele Childress, Ph.D., MSPH
Scientific Program Official - Linda Frederick, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Official - Steve Inserra, MPH, Captain USPHS
Scientific Program Official - Viji Potula, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Official - Travis Kubale, Ph.D.

Scientific Review Administration:

Review Branch Chief - Price Connor, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Official - Joan Karr, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Official - Nina Turner, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Official - George Bockosh, M.S., CTR
Scientific Review Official - Bernadine Kuchinski, Ph.D., CTR
Committee Management Specialist - Joanne Fairbanks
Operations Assistant - Alice Holmes

In conjunction with OEP, the Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) performs the business administration for extramural awards.

Program Portfolio

The purpose of the NIOSH extramural program is to support research and training projects that are focused on the reduction of workplace risk for injury, illness, and death. NIOSH extramural research covers a wide range of program areas. To better coordinate the research activities in OEP, the extramural research portfolio is organized into priority areas in occupational safety and health. These research priorities are derived from the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), a stakeholder driven research agenda designed to address the most pressing needs in workplace health and safety in the United States. Researchers are asked to identify the priority areas their projects address. Collectively, these research projects address a myriad of complex issues and further the state of art and knowledge related to the causes and conditions of occupational injury, illness, and mortality.

The NIOSH extramural portfolios are are organized into focused areas of interest. Contact information is provided for the Scientific Program Official responsible for each area. Additional information about these program areas may be found on the NIOSH Program Portfolio website.

View information on current NIOSH funding opportunities

Research Program Portfolio Areas	Extramural Program Official
Program Sectors
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	Allen Robison
Construction	Steve Inserra
Healthcare & Social Assistance	Linda Frederick
Manufacturing	Linda Frederick
Mining	Viji Potula
Oil and Gas	Viji Potula
Public Safety	Steve Inserra
Services	Steve Inserra
Wholesale & Retail Trade	Adele Childress
Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities	Viji Potula
Program Cross Sectors
Authoritative Recommendations	Allen Robison
Cancer, Reproductive & Cardiovascular Health	Adele Childress
Communications & Information Dissemination	Allen Robison
Economics	Adele Childress
Emergency Preparedness and Response	Steve Inserra
Engineering Controls	Linda Frederick
Exposure Assessment	Viji Potula
Global Collaborations	Viji Potula
Health Hazard Evaluations	Linda Frederick
Hearing Loss Prevention	Steve Inserra
Immune and Dermal	Linda Frederick
Musculoskeletal Disorders	Linda Frederick
Nanotechnology	Viji Potula
Occupational Health Disparities	Steve Inserra
Personal Protective Technology	Viji Potula
Prevention Through Design	Linda Frederick
Radiation Dose Evaluation	Steve Inserra
Respiratory Diseases	Steve Inserra
Small Business Assistance and Outreach	Viji Potula
Surveillance	Steve Inserra
Total Worker Health (formerly WorkLife)	Adele Childress
Training Grants	Allen Robison
Traumatic Injury	Linda Frederick
Work Organization & Stress-Related Disorders	Viji Potula