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NIH Program on Health and Extreme Weather

Exploratory Research Centers

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The NIH HEW Program provided funding to establish exploratory research centers to foster and sustain transdisciplinary teams that can explore various approaches to address the complex impacts of extreme weather on health. Each center is anchored by a central theme and is focused on generating new knowledge and developing new, action-oriented strategies that protect health and build resiliency at the individual, community, national, and global levels. These centers are funded by P20 grant awards.

Community Engagement Hubs (ACE-PATH)

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Community engagement is critical to understanding the concerns and needs of the people whose health is impacted by extreme weather. Cultivating relationships within neighborhoods and regional groups allows research to better address the questions and needs of those communities. As a result, the research is more meaningful.

The NIH HEW Program provided funding to establish four sites as part of the Alliance for Community Engagement – Partnership for Action Toward Health (ACE-PATH). The alliance will work to promote sustainable strategies that address the impacts of extreme weather on vulnerable communities. Learn more about ACE-PATH.

  • University of Alaska Fairbanks | Protecting Health in the American Arctic
    Through its Protecting Health in the American Arctic project, the AK ACE team will test localized strategies to address the effects of key regional health stressors identified by rural Alaska Native communities, prioritizing food security, water quality, and young people’s health and well-being.
    • Academic Leads: Stacy Rasmus, Ph.D., M.A.; Karsten Hueffer, Ph.D., D.V.M., M.A.
    • Community Lead: Mr. Evon Taa'ąįį Peter
  • University of Colorado School of Public Health | Mountain West Hub
    The UC Denver Mountain West Hub project, Air Quality Action to Build Healthier and Stronger Rural and Urban Communities, will study the physical and mental health effects of providing do-it-yourself air filters to homes in rural and urban areas.
    • Academic Leads: Carol Brown, Ph.D.; Katherine Dickinson, Ph.D., M.S.; Katherine James, Ph.D., M.S., M.S.P.H.
    • Community Leads: Ms. Emily Brown (San Luis Valley); Mr. Jaime Aguilar (West Denver)
  • Public Health Institute | Lake County Project
    The Public Health Institute’s Community Health and Resilience Mobilization (CHARM) Lake County project works with local partners to implement and test an intervention that lessens the immediate risks of heat exposure while promoting preventive behaviors to strengthen personal and community resilience.
    • Academic Leads: Michelle Wong, M.P.H.; Susan Paulukonis, M.P.H., M.A.
    • Community Lead: Ms. Sarah Ryan

Health and Extreme Weather Intramural Research (HEW-IR) Program

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The NIH Health and Extreme Weather Intramural Research (HEW-IR) Program provides seed funding to stimulate research activities among intramural investigators at multiple NIH institutes and centers.

As part of this Program, intramural investigators focus on basic and applied research into the health effects of extreme weather.

Eligibility: All NIH Intramural Research Program Principal Investigators (Senior Investigators, Investigators, Senior Clinicians, Senior Scientists, Assistant Clinical Investigators, Independent Research Scholars) are eligible to apply.