# Occupational Safety and Health Training Grant : MS ISE/ Safety and Ergonomics

> **NIH ALLCDC T03** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $55,686

## Abstract

R&R Item 7. Project Summary / Abstract
The long term objectives of this program are to 1) increase the number of engineers who understand that they
have a direct effect on the safety of workers who work with the equipment and work systems engineers design,
and 2) increase the number of engineers who choose to go into applied or research positions in the area of
occupational safety and health. Annually, five traineeships in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics are
available in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering (ISE) at OSU. These provide educational
opportunities to engineering students at the master's level who are interested in pursuing industrial, consulting,
or academic careers in occupational safety and ergonomics or related areas. Plans of study typically require
4-5 semesters to complete. Students take courses in occupational biomechanics and ergonomics, cognitive
engineering, occupational health, occupational safety, human error and systems failure or resilience
engineering, and experimental design. Students are trained in responsible research practices and have
opportunities to get involved in cutting edge research that addresses a number of original NORA Priority
Research Areas, including Low Back Disorders, Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremities, Traumatic
Injuries, Emerging Technologies, Special Populations at Risk, Exposure Assessment Methods, and/or
Intervention Effectiveness Research. Research projects, seminars, internships, a safety practicum, and other
opportunities expose students to several NORA Sectors, including Healthcare, Manufacturing, Public Safety,
Service workers, and Warehousing. Students learn from OSU faculty, experienced practitioners, and workers.
Students learn about safety and ergonomics fundamentals and emerging trends and concepts, such as
resilience, systems thinking, and wellness approaches to OSH. Laboratory facilities and equipment the
students work with are state-of-the-art, including OSU's new Spine Research Institute.
 OSU's College of Engineering continues to improve and refine strategies for recruiting top-notch
graduate students from groups that are underrepresented in engineering. The training program has actively
participated in these strategies. The program has strong institutional support, as demonstrated by the
provision of Tuition Awards for the trainees, which provide for full tuition support for up to two years per
student. Advisory Board members bring experience from labor, industry, research, government, and
education, and provide the program with important, relevant outside perspectives, as well as providing direct
support to students through internships, safety practicum sponsorships, guest lectures in classes, and
seminars. Program graduates become valuable employees because of the breadth of their training, sector
exposure, and instructor exposure; some graduates opt to build upon that strong foundation of knowledge with
further education and training at the doct...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920068
- **Project number:** 5T03OH008847-15
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Carolyn M Sommerich
- **Activity code:** T03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $55,686
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920068

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920068, Occupational Safety and Health Training Grant : MS ISE/ Safety and Ergonomics (5T03OH008847-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920068. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*