Small Grant Program

Funding Opportunity

The Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (WCAHS) is dedicated to improving the health and safety of those working in western agriculture through research, outreach, and training.

WCAHS is seeking research proposals that address agricultural health and safety in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and/or Nevada. WCAHS welcomes applications on a wide range of topics relevant to agricultural health and safety. Proposals that identify an occupational health or safety issue that is attributable to the agricultural worksite, not general community exposures, will be prioritized.

Projects that include collaboration with cooperative extension specialists, farm advisors, community-based organizations, farm labor contractors, and/or those that result in industry, community, and/or policy outputs are encouraged. 

Program Objectives

The overarching goal of the WCAHS Pilot/Feasibility Program is to encourage the development of creative research projects while nurturing researchers—particularly early-career and under-represented researchers—interested in improving agricultural health and safety for the western U.S. It is designed to fund short-term research projects to support the collection of preliminary data, attract new investigators to WCAHS and the field of agricultural health and safety, facilitate the exploration of innovative research directions, and engage and mentor early stage investigators as defined by the NIH. 

Award

• Funding from October 29, 2024–September 29, 2025.
• Faculty and research staff (approved PI status) up to $30,000; postdoctoral scholars up to $20,000, and graduate students up to $10,000.
• Requested budget amount may be reduced during the review process based on the availability of funds and the number of qualified proposals.

Eligibility

• Investigators in AZ, CA, HI, NV and/or project activities and research sites in AZ, CA, HI, NV.
• Investigators include graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, research staff, and faculty. Nonprofit organizations may also apply for WCAHS Pilot/Feasibility Program funding. Applicants do not need to be affiliated with a university; therefore, organizations that conduct research are also eligible to apply.

Priority

• Proposals addressing mental health and workplace violence in agriculture are encouraged. 
• Investigators in AZ, HI, NV and/or project activities and research sites in AZ, HI, NV (outside of UC Davis and preferably CA).
• Under-represented investigators. 
• Early-stage investigators include graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, research staff, and professors who have completed their terminal degree within the past 10 years and have yet to be awarded a substantial grant as a principal investigator.

Key Dates

Required Proposal Items

Submission Instructions

Proposals are due on or before Monday, August 5, 2024, 5 p.m. PT. Send all materials in one PDF to aghealth@ucdavis.edu.

Review Criteria

All applicants are strongly encouraged (not required) to use the NIOSH Burden, Need, and Impact framework in describing their project. All proposals will be reviewed using the standard NIH nine-point scale (1=exceptional; 9=poor). 

All Pilot/Feasibility proposals will be reviewed in a two-stage process. The first stage will be a scientific review focused on the scientific merit and feasibility of the project. The second stage will consider WCAHS research priorities and the applicant and research proposal’s contribution to increasing the number and diversity of investigators in agricultural health and safety. After WCAHS funding selection, all projects will need to be approved by NIOSH. This may result in a delay in funding receipt. 

Awardee Expectations and Professional Development Opportunities

Awardees will be expected to participate in WCAHS monthly Zoom seminars and other occasional events (with remote participation and travel funds where necessary). Awardees will be required to acknowledge WCAHS in publications and presentations by NIOSH grant title and number. Awardees may be asked to present their project status to center leadership during the project period.

In addition to funding, awardees gain access to monthly mentoring meetings, feedback on presentations, reviews on a manuscript from a scientific editor, and access to the center’s communications expertise.

Reporting Guidelines

Please use the following format for your final report. Your report should not exceed five pages.

1. Project title
2. PI
3. Brief problem description
4. Specific aims
5. Progress toward dissemination
6. Progress toward additional funding

Full reporting guidelines can be found in the attached PDF.

More information about WCAHS can be found here: https://aghealth.ucdavis.edu/

Previously funded projects can be found here: https://aghealth.ucdavis.edu/funding/small-grant-program/projects

Questions? – aghealth@ucdavis.edu