# Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP)

> **NIH ALLCDC T03** · ASSOCIATION/OCCUPATIONAL & ENVIR CLINICS · 2024 · $149,949

## Abstract

Project Abstract/Summary
The central goal of OHIP is to recruit students into the occupational health professions within the context of
a changing workforce and nature of work, and to increase the number of underrepresented minority (URM)
students through a summer enrichment experience. Our goal is to provide these students with an
experienced-based learning opportunity that motivates and inspires them to continue and/or shift their
academic training to graduate programs in the occupational health professions. The URM students bring
not only their technical expertise, but often language and cultural skills that are essential in developing
communication and rapport with diverse worker populations.
Three major training objectives underlie the program. Over the course of a summer, each of the OHIP
trainees gains an understanding of the:
· importance of work-related health and safety hazards in determining the health of workers and the
 general community;
· changing nature of the workforce and importance of designing health and safety interventions to
 meet the needs of specific and diverse worker groups; and
· role of occupational health and safety professionals in reducing workplace health and safety hazards.
OHIP project personnel and mentors from around the country, each with considerable health and safety
experience, work to ensure that the internships will be successful. This includes extensive national
recruitment for applicants, careful selection of student projects, organization of a three-day national
orientation training, and effective mentorship and supervision throughout the summer. Post-summer
communication with the trainees solidifies their interest in occupational health. A national advisory board
composed of nationally recognized educators and scientists continues to play a key role in overseeing the
program.
Over the past 20 years, 392 students have completed 205 occupational safety and health (OSH)
projects with 136 worker support organizations in 30 locations involving a wide variety of occupations
and health and safety hazards. Over the previous NIOSH funded project period (2018 – 2023), 108 students
have completed 54 projects in 18 locations. Over the past 20 years, 55 percent of the 392 OHIP trainees
have been URMs and over 50 percent of these have pursued careers in OHS and/or allied professions.
Over the last 5-year project period, 65 of 108 OHIP trainees (60%) are URM.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10948155
- **Project number:** 2T03OH009220-17
- **Recipient organization:** ASSOCIATION/OCCUPATIONAL & ENVIR CLINICS
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert J Harrison
- **Activity code:** T03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $149,949
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2024-07-01 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10948155

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10948155, Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP) (2T03OH009220-17). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10948155. Licensed CC0.

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