# Transdisciplinary Training at the Intersection of Environmental Health Science and Social Science (EH+SS)

> **NIH NIH T32** · NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $455,646

## Abstract

Project Abstract: Transdisciplinary Training at the Intersection of Environmental
Health and Social Science
The goal of this first T32, 5-year renewal of the successful “Transdisciplinary Training at the
Intersection of Environmental Health and Social Science” is to prepare 10 doctoral students and
8 postdocs (3 environmental health and 3 social science) to be future leaders in social science-
environmental health science collaborations. This overall goal has the following objectives:
1) Educate trainees in a new research trajectory that combines environmental health and social
science; 2) Teach trainees about community-based participatory research (CBPR),
environmental justice, informal science education, and public participation in research; 3) Train
researchers to integrate CBPR practices into existing and emerging research programs; 4)
Provide hands-on training at a science-based CBO to demonstrate to trainees how it does
research and interfaces with advocacy on emerging contaminants and technologies. This
training program is unique in that is co-directed by an academic institution - Northeastern
University's Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute and a non-academic
institution - Silent Spring Institute, a science-based/community-based participatory research
environmental non-profit organization. It builds upon 15 years of collaborative research and
training activities between the two partners. Trainees are equipped to improve environmental
health, particularly among underserved populations, through: core and elective coursework, two
dedicated seminar series for trainees, engagement with CBOs that use novel tools for robust
exposure and dose estimates, participatory research methods such as community-based
participatory research and civic science, an overarching environmental justice approach, and
reflexive research ethics. Trainees will be part of research teams at both institutions, including
processes and ethics of reporting back biomonitoring and personal exposure results to
participants; data sharing and privacy protection; exposure, remediation, health effects, and
regulatory and policy issues of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, modeling of emerging
contaminants in Cape Cod drinking water, water access and equity; development of exposure
biomarkers for breast cancer studies; and development and application of low-cost community
sensors. Trainees will also learn how to work with the news media. Pre-doctoral trainees will be
funded for 3 years each, and the postdoctoral trainees will be funded for 2 years each.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10450064
- **Project number:** 5T32ES023769-07
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JULIA Green BRODY
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $455,646
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10450064

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10450064, Transdisciplinary Training at the Intersection of Environmental Health Science and Social Science (EH+SS) (5T32ES023769-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10450064. Licensed CC0.

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