OVERALL – PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Vision and Mission: The vision of the Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety (the Heartland Center) is to be the leading educational and outreach resource for occupational safety and health in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska (Region VII). The Center’s mission is to reduce injuries, illnesses, and fatalities of workers by expanding and strengthening the occupational health and safety workforce with well- trained and well-informed professionals. Objective: The academic training provided by the Heartland Center will increase the number of highly knowledgeable and experienced occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals in Federal Region VII (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri). The Center’s outreach and continuing education programs will enhance the capabilities of occupational health and safety professionals to reduce the high rates of occupational disease and injury in this region. Rationale: The major rationale for the Heartland Center is to satisfy the need for OHS professionals in this Region, provide practical information for the professional development of OHS professionals in this Region, and serve as a conduit of OHS-related information to this Region. The Center will consist of 5 graduate level training programs, including industrial hygiene, occupational safety, ergonomics, agricultural safety and health, and occupational injury prevention. The Center will also contain active continuing education and outreach program designed to reach thousands of OHS professionals in the Region using traditional and innovative distance-education technology and information dissemination techniques. The Center is structured to maximize its mission with a central administration guided by a strategic plan and input by an active internal and external advisory board. A strong evaluation plan is used to monitor all aspects of Center effectiveness. A comprehensive diversity recruitment plan enhances the enrollment of students from underrepresented populations. The project team is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in all aspects of the Heartland Center. Programs: This proposal supports a request for continued funding of the Heartland Center during the period 2024 - 2029. The minimum annual number of trainees in each program area are the following: Industrial Hygiene - 5 master's, 1 doctoral); Occupational Safety - 3 master's, 1 doctoral; Ergonomics – 2 master’s, 1 doctoral; Agricultural Safety and Health - 2 master's, 2 doctoral; Occupational Injury Prevention - 1 master's, 2 doctoral; Continuing Education (CE) – 1600 participants.