This is a competing renewal for the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH) at the University of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH).The overall goal of the SWCOEH is to respond to the critical need for well-trained occupational and environmental health specialists by providing graduate level academic and research training and continuing education. The UTSPH has a unique, multi campus system, with the main campus located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston and five regional campuses in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio. The ERC programs, faculty and students are located in Houston and San Antonio in the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Program. All campuses are linked electronically, facilitating quality teaching and research, expanded course offerings, interdisciplinary collaboration and access to regional stakeholders as well as to expanded minority student populations. The ERC was established in 1977. It has been continuously funded since and incorporates faculty and students from various disciplines related to occupational and environmental health. The ERC currently provides master level training (2-3 years) in Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health for Nurses, doctoral level training (3-4 years) in Occupational Epidemiology and Injury Prevention, and postdoctoral residencies in Occupational Medicine. This application includes a new master level program in Occupational Safety but does not request renewal of the Occupational Health for Nurses program, due to a decline in the number of trainees. In addition to the academic graduate degree programs, the ERC has active Continuing Education and Hazardous Substance Training (HST) Programs that provide a full spectrum of training opportunities, enhanced by annual support of pilot projects research training for new and transitional investigators. For the 2011 academic year, we expect to fund a total of 16-18 trainees: 6 in Industrial Hygiene, 4 in Occupational Epidemiology, and 3 each in Occupational Medicine and Injury Prevention, and 1-2 in Occupational Health for Nurses. Our Continuing Education Program plans to offers approximately 20 courses to 1200-1500 participants, and our Hazardous Substance Training Program plans to train
The UT ERC provides advanced degree training in occupational health and safety to meet the critical need for trained professionals in federal Region VI. A full spectrum of degree programs, advanced research training, and continuing education courses help meet the needs of Region VI for well-trained professionals to protect the health and safety of the nations'workforce.
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