NIOSH and the U.S. Coast Guard Announce Award Recipients for the 2021 Commercial Fishing Safety Research Cooperative Agreements & Training Project Grants

Contact: Stephanie Stevens, yky0@cdc.gov, 202.245.0641

NIOSH and the U.S. Coast Guard Announce Award Recipients for the 2021 Commercial Fishing Safety Research Cooperative Agreements and Training Project Grants

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Commercial Fishing Safety Research Cooperative Agreements and Training Project Grants Program.

This year’s program made five awards totaling $4.1 million to support critical research and training projects to improve the safety of workers in the high-risk commercial fishing industry. Funding will support the following projects:

Research:

• American Bureau of Shipping (Spring, TX), Development and Testing a Field-Based Hazard/Near-Miss Sharing System for Commercial Fishing Vessels
• American Bureau of Shipping (Spring, TX), Development, Testing, and Deployment of Simulation-Based Stability Training Tools for Commercial Fishing Vessels
• Oregon State University, Improving Dungeness Crab Vessel Equipment: An Ergonomic Intervention to Reduce Risk for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Falls Overboard

Training:

• Fishing Partnership Health Plan (Burlington, MA), Community-Based Safety Training for the Mid-Atlantic Fishing Industry
• Fishing Partnership Health Plan (Burlington, MA), Community-Based Safety Training for the New England Fishing Industry

“It’s fantastic this program continues to fund high-impact projects to improve safety and reduce safety risks in the U.S. fishing fleet,” said Jennifer M. Lincoln, Ph.D., associate director of NIOSH’s Office of Agriculture (Forestry and Fishing) Safety and Health. “It was exciting to see the new round of research projects focusing on enhancements in technology. We are delighted to continue our partnership with the USCG to administer this important program.”

Commercial fishing remains one of the most dangerous industries in the United States, and the need for targeted safety research and training remains essential. The 2021 commercial fishing awards mark the third time the Fishing Safety Research Cooperative Agreement and Training Grants have been available. The next application deadline for these funding opportunities is January 21, 2022. Refer to the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research and Training Program for more information on the funding opportunity announcement.

About the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research and Training Grant Program

The Fishing Safety Research Grant Program was established by the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281), as amended by the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-281). The program was created to provide funding to advance fishing safety research and provide targeted, regionally appropriate training for the nation’s commercial fishermen. NIOSH works in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard to administer the program.

About the NIOSH Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies

For more than two decades NIOSH has conducted studies of fishing safety to reduce the incidence of injuries and fatalities among the nation’s fishermen. NIOSH accomplishes safety and health research in maritime industries through the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies, which is a virtual center that serves as a hub for intramural and extramural researchers.

NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Find more information about NIOSH at www.cdc.gov/niosh.