Launch of CAFÉ University Webinars!

We invite you to join the kickoff of CAFÉ University, a new educational resource out of the CAFÉ RCC. These educational webinars will cover various climate and health topics with visiting experts and lecturers from across the world. The webinars are free and are intended to be educational in nature. Content will vary from live data tutorials, guidance for leveling-up your research translation and policy skills, and lectures on advanced topics within climate and health.

Join us on Zoom for the first of these webinars on April 26th, from 12-1:30pm EDT. The first segment of the webinar will be devoted to a discussion of extreme heat and heat warning systems, while the second segment will provide information on the new NIH Data and Management Sharing Plan. 

1st Segment

Title: "Research to Inform Optimization of Heat Health Early Warning Systems"

When: April 26, 2024, 12-1pm EDT

Description: Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and severe, leading to increasing numbers of deaths, hospitalizations, and illness across the globe. To address this threat to public health, countries and communities across the globe are working to implement or improve heat early warning and response systems with the goal of reducing heat-related morbidity and mortality. But there is currently insufficient research to inform optimization of heat action plans, particularly given that heat risks and appropriate adaptations can vary across locations and populations, and potentially over time.  

In this webinar, we will review: a) evidence of the growing health burden associated with days of extreme heat, b) gaps in the scientific evidence, and c) examples of how research can inform further optimization of heat early warning and response systems.

Speaker: 

Greg Wellenius, ScD

Professor and Director of the Boston University Center for Climate and Health and one of the CAFE leads. 

2nd Segment:

Title: "How can CAFE help with the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan?"

When: April 26th, 1-1:30pm EDT

Description: In January of 2023, the National Institute of Health released a new Data Management and Sharing Plan to promote sharing of scientific data and data reuse for scientific studies. Under this policy, NIH expects institutions and investigators involved in applications to: plan and budget for the managing and sharing of data, submit a DMS plan for review when applying for funding, and comply with the approved DMS Plan if funded. 

In this 30 minute session, we will describe what the new DMSP entails, as well as how CAFE can help. All are welcome, but we especially encourage projects funded under the CCHI.

Speaker: 

Julie Goldman, Research Data Services Librarian, Countway Library, Harvard Medical School

A recording of this webinar will be made available on our website.

Join our Slack community!

This Slack community is designed to serve as a dynamic networking platform, allowing members to engage with one another, share resources, and foster meaningful connections within the climate and health nexus. With 80 active members and 10 channels covering a wide range of topics within the climate-health nexus, our community is a bustling hub for collaboration and growth. From data resources and funding opportunities to job boards, educational materials, and community events, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge, find your next career move, or connect with like-minded individuals, our Slack community is the place to be. 

To join, click here. To ensure the best experience for all members, we’ve outlined some guidelines for using this platform, which you can find once you’ve successfully joined the community.

Planning on attending HEI later this month?

Keep an eye out for CAFÉ team members Greg Wellenius, Francesca Dominici, Patrick Kinney, and Lilly Nichols who will be attending as well!

Climate and Health Community Events & Announcements

International Society for Exposure Science (ISES) Abstract Submissions

Abstract Submissions are open until April 24th, 2024 for the ISES annual meeting, which will take place in Montreal, Qc from October 20-24th 2024. This year’s theme is "Exposures that Impact Health in Vulnerable Populations". Several symposium sessions directly relating to climate and health are accepting abstract submissions (including numbers: 11, 20, 30, 64, 72, 83, 91). More information including the abstract submission link and list of symposium sessions can be found here.

BU’s Institute for Global Sustainability Annual Symposium

Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) will host its Annual Symposium entitled “Power & People Symposium: Mapping Community Exposure to Energy Infrastructure”. This year’s convening will launch a new national database on the health impacts of energy infrastructure, the most comprehensive dataset of its kind. The database generates important learnings in areas such the climate and health equity co-benefits of clean energy programs and impacts on vulnerable populations, the impacts of infrastructure siting on environmental justice communities, and the opportunity of a new energy epidemiology agenda to address the links between hazards and health outcomes and policies. This symposium will include keynote and featured speakers, insights from the research team, student postering sessions, interactive discussions, with lunch and coffee breaks included.
May 7th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 
The agenda can be found here. Please register now as space is limited. 

Global Forum on Bioethics in Research Meeting - Call for case studies and participant

The Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR) will hold a two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 19 & 20 November 2024 on the topic “Ethical issues arising in research into health and climate change” (dates tentative).

As part of the upcoming meeting, the GFBR is seeking case studies on the ethical issues that have emerged in the conduct of research into health and climate change, or on governance issues in this field. The GFBR is also seeking participants to attend the meeting, with places awarded on a competitive basis. Awards are available for successful applicants from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to cover the cost of their travel, accommodation and single-entry visa.

The deadline for applications is Monday 6 May 2024 at 9am CEST/Geneva.

See the GFBR website for details on how to apply online. More information, including the background paper for details on the Forum topic, can be found on our website.

Announcing the Disaster Research Response (DR2) Network in Asia Workshop to be held May 31 - June 1, 2024, in Japan 

The DR2 Program, led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), provides training, funding, and a Resources Portal of tools to empower human health research in response to disasters and public health emergencies. This workshop aims to expand the network to other Asian countries that have also experienced the need for disaster research response.
Please visit https://dr2-asia.org/ for more information and to register for the workshop. Stay tuned to the website for additional updates to come!

Consider submitting to Environmental Research: Health’s new focus collection, titled ‘Focus on Environmental Health and Disasters’

About the journal: Led by Professor Michelle Bell (Editor-in-Chief, Yale University) Environmental Research: Health is a new open access journal covering impactful research which intersects the environment and public health. More information about the journal can be found here.   

For information on scope, article types, closing date submissions, and coverage of the article publication charge, please refer to our website or see article requirements here.

For additional events and announcements, as well as more information on those listed here, please see our website. 

Unless otherwise indicated, the above events are not hosted, organized, or endorsed by CAFÉ or NIH. We are not responsible for the content of these events or the accuracy of the information shared.

Have an event, resource, or funding opportunity within the climate and health community? Submit it here for consideration for inclusion in our website and monthly newsletter. The cutoff for each month is the 12th at 4pm ET.