The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and its colleagues under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) are inviting nominations for the NORA Partnering Award for Worker Health and Safety, 2001.

The NORA Partnering Award, which is presented biennially, honors organizations that have joined in research partnerships to develop new equipment, practices, products, procedures, or policies for protecting workers from job-related injury, illness, or death. The 2001 award will be presented at a national NORA Symposium on June 27, 2001, in Washington, D.C.

NORA is a national agenda for research in occupational safety and health that was established by NIOSH and diverse partners in 1996 with input from more than 500 organizations and individuals. NORA identifies 21 priority areas in which new research will have the greatest potential to prevent occupational injury, illness, and death in the coming decade. One of the primary strategies in the development and current implementation of NORA has been to build new partnerships in job safety and health research.

"The Partnering Award honors exemplary teamwork, innovative thinking, and strong science in the interest of worker health and safety, all of which are NORA’s hallmarks," said NIOSH Director Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H. "We look forward to a field of distinguished candidates for the 2001 award."

The first NORA Partnering Award, presented in 1999, recognized manufacturers, employer organizations, labor groups, and agencies for a collaboration that resulted in substantial reduction of worker exposures to asphalt fumes in hot mix asphalt paving operations. The asphalt partnership was also a finalist in the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award in 1998.

Nominations are invited for collaborative achievements that have advanced research and prevention in occupational safety and health. Partners should nominate themselves jointly and must comprise three or more organizations, including at least one employer or organization representing employers, and at least one organization representing workers. NIOSH participation in or funding of the partnership is not a requirement for eligibility.

Nominations should include a nomination letter of no more than three pages and supporting documentation addressing the following elements, which will be used to select the winners of the award:

• The name of the research project.

• A description of the project, including the nature of the problem being addressed, and its findings.

• Explanation of how the research findings were translated into action(s) to improve worker safety and health.

• The extent of increased protection against work-related illness or injury that resulted from the partnership, measured by reduced occurrence or severity of injuries, illnesses, disability, or hazardous exposures.

• The nature of the partnership and involvement by its members (including background on how the partnership developed and roles of the different partners).

Nominations must be submitted for receipt by March 1, 2001, to Dr. Bonnie Rogers, Chair, NORA Liaison Committee, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health, CB 7400, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400, email brogers@sph.unc.edu.

Further information about the call for nominations for the NORA Partnering Award is available on the World Wide Web at www.cdc.gov/niosh/noracall.html and from Dr. Anita Schill, NIOSH, tel. (202) 401-3740, email aschill@cdc.gov.