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New Research on Treating Water from Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Systems by Seto and Colleagues

CSDE Affiliate Edmund Seto (Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences) and co-authors published their work in Environmental Science: Water, Research, & Technology, titled “Science-based pathogen treatment requirements for direct potable reuse“. Specifying appropriate pathogen treatment requirements is critical to ensure that direct potable reuse (DPR) systems provide consistent and reliable protection of public health. This study leverages several research efforts conducted on behalf of the California State Water Resources Control Board to provide guidance on selecting science-based pathogen treatment requirements for DPR. Advancements in pathogen detection methods have produced new robust, high-quality datasets that can be used to characterize the distribution of pathogen concentrations present in raw wastewater. Such probabilistic distributions should replace the deterministic point estimate approach previously used in regulatory development. Specifically, to calculate pathogen treatment requirements, pathogen distributions should be used in probabilistic quantitative microbial risk assessments that account for variability in concentrations. This approach was applied using the latest high-quality datasets to determine the log reduction targets necessary to achieve an annual risk goal of 1 in 10 000 infections per person as well as a more stringent daily risk goal of 2.7 × 10−7 infections per person. The probabilistic approach resulted in pathogen log reduction targets of 13-log10 for enteric viruses, 10-log10 for Giardia, and 10-log10 for Cryptosporidium. An additional 4-log10 level of redundancy provides protection against undetected failures while maintaining high degrees of compliance with the daily (99%) and annual risk goals (>99%). The limitations of the use of molecular pathogen data are also discussed. While the recommendations and findings are targeted for California, they are broadly applicable to the development of DPR regulations outside California and the U.S.

Prusynski and Mroz Examine Medicare Payment Models During the COVID-19 Pandemic

CSDE Affiliates Rachel Prusynski (Physical Therapy) and Tracy Mroz (Rehabilitation Medicine) published their research with co-authors in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, titled “Implementation of US Post-Acute Care Payment Reform and COVID-19 Policies: Examining Experiences of Health System Leaders, Staff, Patients, and Family Caregivers—A Protocol“. In fiscal year 2020, new national Medicare payment models were implemented in the two most common post-acute care settings (i.e., skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHAs)), which were followed by the emergence of COVID-19. Given concerns about the unintended consequence of these events, this study protocol will examine how organizations responded to these policies and whether there were changes in SNF and HHA access, care delivery, and outcomes from the perspectives of leadership, staff, patients, and families. Authors conducted a two-phase multiple case study guided by the Institute of Medicine’s Model of Healthcare Systems. Phase I will include three cases for each setting and a maximum of fifty administrators per case. Phase II will include a subset of Phase I organizations, which are grouped into three setting-specific cases. Each Phase II case will include a maximum of four organizations. Semi-structured interviews will explore the perspectives of frontline staff, patients, and family caregivers (Phase II). Thematic analysis will be used to examine the impact of payment policy and COVID-19 on organizational operations, care delivery, and patient outcomes. The results of this study intend to develop evidence addressing concerns about the unintended consequences of the PAC payment policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*New* Data Alert: IPUMS Time Use

The Eating and Health module is now available for the 2022 ATUS. This new module includes new questions on in-person grocery shopping and online grocery shopping, meal preparation, food quality, and exercise as well as the level of enjoyment for grocery shopping and meal preparation.

IPUMS Webinar on Survey And Census Data For International Health Research (10/31/23)

Focusing on IPUMS Global Health and IPUMS International data, webinar presentations will cover the scope of the data, explain how data are harmonized, and demonstrate how to use IPUMS websites, create customized datafiles, and employ tools such as the online tabulator. Examples will address using the data to study the health and well-being of women, children, and the elderly. Learn more about the workshop and register here.

Cohen to Present her Research at Several Conferences in November

CSDE Affiliate Isabelle Cohen (Public Policy & Governance) is continuing to present her work in high-impact places. On Thursday, Nov 2, she will be presenting at the National Tax Association Annual Conference, “E-Invoicing and Tax Compliance: Evidence from Pakistan” and on Saturday, Nov 4, she will be presenting at the North East Universities Development Consortium Annual Conference (at Harvard),“Pathways to Choice: Delaying Marriage and Increasing Education via Safe Spaces”. 

NSF Environmental Synthesis Center Invites Working Group Applications (Due: 11/1/23)

The National Science Foundation’s newest environmental synthesis center, the Environmental Data Innovation and Inclusion Lab at UC Boulder, seeks proposals for interdisciplinary working groups blending diverse forms of environmental and social data to advance basic scientific understanding and enable informed environmental decision and policy making. A description of the ESIIL working group program can be found here, and the request for proposals can be found here.

Working groups are funded to meet in Boulder, CO, and virtually for several years, and are provided with world-class logistical and computational and analytic support. Proposals are short – 5 pages or fewer.

Please pass this opportunity on to anyone that you believe might benefit from it. The deadline is Nov 1, 2023.

ORC Announces Upcoming UW Provost Bridge Funding Program (Due: 11/1/23)

The Office of Research Central has opened up their submission portal for The Bridge Funding Program, which provides funding to support faculty to span a temporary funding gap in critical research programs. A maximum of $50,000 may be applied for through the Provost. All funding requests must be matched 1:1 by the applicant’s college/school.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Faculty with a track record of extramural funding who have lost all of their research support at the time of the Bridge application, or who will lose all of their research support within six months of the Bridge application deadline. Exceptions will be made for faculty who have lost or will lose 50% or more of their salary support. Such faculty are eligible for Bridge Funding even though they have existing funding. In addition, faculty members who have a grant that is restricted to pay only their salary (such as some NIH K awards) are eligible if they have no other research funding.
  • Junior faculty with a record of productivity who have exhausted their startup funds, but who have not yet obtained their first research funding (including an RRF award) either as a PI or as a co-investigator.
  • A facility providing a key resource to multiple faculty that has lost extramural support. One faculty member should submit the proposal on behalf of the team.
  • Faculty who hold an RRF award are eligible if the amount of the award remaining at the time of Bridge Funding application is less than $30,000. Please note that applicants who apply to both programs (Bridge and RRF) simultaneously will only be given one award. If an individual holds a Bridge Funding award and subsequently receives an RRF award of $30,000 or more, any remaining Bridge monies must be returned.

At the time funding is established or re-established, unspent funds will be returned to the Bridge program so that others can benefit. These programs are not intended to initiate new research projects. For those needs, researchers should apply to the Royalty Research Fund.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Luetjen or visit our web site for guidance and FAQs.

Russell Sage Pipeline Grants Competition for Early-Career Faculty (Deadline 11/1/23)

The Pipeline Grants Competition for early-career faculty is a collaboration between RSF and the Economic Mobility and Opportunity program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program seeks to promote diversity in the social sciences defined broadly, including racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity, disciplinary diversity, institutional diversity, and geographic diversity. Only early career researchers who have not previously received a trustee or presidential research grant or fellowship from RSF are eligible to apply. The proposal deadline is November 1, 2023, for funding starting in Summer 2024. View the updated RFP here. Eligibility and program guidelines are available here.