# Community Engagement Core

> **NIH NIH P42** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2021 · $126,385

## Abstract

SUMMARY: Community Engagement Core 
The Community Engagement Core (CEC) facilitates bidirectional interactions between community stakeholders 
and the ISRP researchers who study polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of Superfund chemicals. These 
bidirectional interactions are critical to ISRP’s long-term goal of improving the health and well-being of 
populations by preventing or limiting exposure to PCBs through scientifically-informed interventions. ISRP 
studies demonstrate that inhalation of indoor air, especially in schools in the United States contaminated with 
airborne PCBs, represents a significant and current public health concern for school-aged children. The CEC is an 
important integrating core for the ISRP because it develops partnerships with communities impacted by PCBs, 
serves as a source of information and educational resources for these communities, and acts as a liaison 
between partner communities and researchers. The CEC is fully integrated with ISRP research projects and 
other cores and has existing or developing relationships with the partner communities. Columbus Junction, 
Iowa, and East Chicago, Ind., have been active participants in the ISRP AESOP (Project 3) prospective human 
cohort study since 2006, during which time the CEC has facilitated a variety of school- and community-based 
engagements. West Liberty, Iowa, is proposed as a new AESOP cohort community and will also be the 
location of several proposed Project 4 activities focused on source characterization and remediation of 
airborne PCBs in schools and homes (these activities are ongoing in Columbus Junction and East Chicago). 
More than 100,000 people live within 5 km of the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site, where the current ISRP 
Project 4 found large emissions of gas-phase PCBs. Building on this important discovery, Project 5 will 
research how to reduce PCB emissions from New Bedford Harbor, and the CEC will facilitate bidirectional 
interactions focused on “report-back” engagements designed to harvest community input and share relevant 
ISRP research findings. Our community partners in Columbus Junction and West Liberty have already 
brainstormed various health campaign designs and have agreed to assemble and maintain community 
advisory boards to inform and oversee jointly-pursued activities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10135989
- **Project number:** 5P42ES013661-16
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Brandi Janssen
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $126,385
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-05-12 → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10135989

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10135989, Community Engagement Core (5P42ES013661-16). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10135989. Licensed CC0.

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