The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is pleased to submit an application for funding assistance under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), FOA Number: PAR-19-306. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, shelter-in-place orders, and the cancellation of local conferences, meetings, and events, environmental health (EH) professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain access to continuing education and training. In response to this need, NEHA is proposing a new virtual conference entitled Digital Defense: Food Safety in Crisis. This conference will address new research findings and practical approaches to food safety during a crisis with a goal to build capacity for attendees to apply new knowledge, skills, and abilities in their organizations and agencies. NEHA?s Digital Defense: Food Safety in Crisis Virtual Educational Conference and Exhibition will take place in Summer of 2020. The conference will be packaged as a series of asynchronous and synchronous educational sessions on the 6Connex virtual platform. This conference is designed to train, educate, and advance EH professionals, as well as to bring people together to build a network of EH colleagues, exchange information, and discover new and practical solutions to food safety during a pandemic. NEHA requests funding assistance to develop, administer, and conduct this one-day educational conference. NEHA anticipates an estimated cost of $50,000 for this virtual conference and is requesting assistance in that amount from the FDA. NEHA is requesting funding to assist with virtual platform associated costs to provide high quality education and training to meet the needs of EH professionals. The conference objectives are to showcase innovation and present new research findings that uniquely safeguard food safety during a pandemic; celebrate professional achievement and making a positive difference (quantifiably, if possible); create an immersive virtual learning experience for attendees and provide an opportunity to discuss current concerns and future issues on food safety and disaster preparedness; provide a call to action for attendees; illustrate the impact attendees can make by application and implementation; and inspire attendees to take the action to make that difference. The Digital Defense conference will be a premier virtual event dedicated exclusively to food safety issues with practical information and real-world information and expertise; high quality speakers and expert moderators; and balanced perspectives, local to national, and global. Attendees will take away information on implementation and application of new food safety practices, technology and disaster preparedness, as well as inspiration to lead their organization and the EH profession into the future. FDA ORA?s vision that ?all food is safe?and the public health is advanced and protected,? as well as its mission to protect consumers and enhance public health by maximizing compliance and minimizing risk?aligns with NEHA?s mission ?to advance the EH professional for the purpose of providing a healthful environment for all.? Both missions are embodied in the proposed virtual conference.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, shelter-in-place orders, and the cancellation of local conferences, meetings, and events, environmental health professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain access to continuing education and training. In response to this need, NEHA is proposing a new virtual conference entitled Digital Defense: Food Safety in Crisis. This conference will address new research findings and practical approaches on food safety during a crisis with a goal to build capacity for attendees to apply new knowledge, skills, and abilities in their organizations and agencies. NEHA is programmatically equipped with extensive experience in developing virtual just-in-time training modalities, formats and educational tools and resources in order to better serve the needs of the EH workforce. NEHA?s Digital Defense: Food Safety in Crisis Virtual Conference will highlight how to navigate the challenges of maintaining a heathy and safe food pipeline in the wake of a crisis through risk education and effective emergency risk communication. The conference will target its training modules towards environmental health professionals working at state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies. Attendees will learn how EH professionals are working with multiple agencies, industries, and levels of government to ensure the safety of the public and environment, and to further advance food safety. The proposed virtual conference is dedicated exclusively to food safety issues with practical information and real-world expertise; high quality speakers and expert moderators; engaging and interactive sessions; and balanced perspectives, local to national, and global.
