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Integrating Environmental Science and Engineering with Biomedical Research for Effective Exposure Prevention and Disease Intervention
When beginning your next investigator-initiated application, consider the following NIH highlighted topic. The area of science described below is of interest to the listed NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). This is not a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).
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Topic Description
Post Date: June 18, 2026
Expiration Date: June 18, 2028
Environmental exposures contribute to declining health in the United States (The MAHA Report Assessment). Humans are exposed to mixtures of chemicals, such as heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, and phthalates, through the air they breathe, water they drink, food they eat and products they use. These harmful exposures pose risks to a range of health effects throughout one’s lifetime. NIH is encouraging interdisciplinary, team science to develop effective technologies to reduce these harmful exposures. Environmental science and engineering (ESE) can design solutions to remove harmful agents before they reach a human by targeting and destroying harmful substances in water, air and soils. In addition, sensor devices for environmental monitoring, including personal exposure monitoring, can be used to inform individual and community prevention activities. However, these ESE efforts are often developed independently of biomedical research teams, who can measure and predict toxicity, helping to ensure the solutions effectively reduce exposures. This topic encourages multidisciplinary, science-driven team research where ESE technology innovators work with biomedical researchers to develop new tools that promote solutions that can help prevent harmful exposures and reduce disease burden. For example, ESE researchers could develop technologies that reduce the amount and toxicity of contaminants in environmental media (water, soil, etc.), while biomedical researchers evaluate the effectiveness of that technology through validated models. Or, a team of scientists might use novel research methods such as rapid screening tools to check the success of established/validated remediation approaches to reduce toxic responses. Communities impacted by hazardous substances could team with biomonitoring teams and novel sensor developers to refine technologies to more accurately measure environmental exposures. These collaborations provide an opportunity to encourage innovative technology development that, if successful, may lead to new solutions for public health.
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Participating ICOs
NIEHS is interested in team-based, multi-disciplinary research combining 1) environmental science and engineering (ESE) research (e.g. exposure reduction and/or measurement approaches) with 2) biomedical research (BMR) for exposure scenarios relevant to NIEHS.
ESE research examples could include: hypothesis-driven research to develop solutions to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances; or develop sensor technologies for improved environmental/exposure monitoring.
Biomedical research examples could include: studies to confirm hazard reduction using novel toxicology assays; internal dose biomonitoring; predictive toxicology; or other biomedical research technologies to measure effective exposure reduction.
The NIEHS Superfund Research Program is especially interested in team-based (ESE and BMR) approaches leading to improved clean-up and monitoring at sites impacted by hazardous substances.
Heather Henry, PhD
[email protected]
The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) supports:
- Interdisciplinary environmental health research to detect, characterize, and remediate chemical mixtures and assess toxicity and cumulative health risks in women.
- Studies should prioritize sex-specific biology and women-relevant outcomes, including study designs and analyses that can identify mechanisms and responses relevant to female biology across the life course.
- Priorities include improved exposure assessment tools tailored to women, enhanced personal and community monitoring, and research to develop and validate effective environmental interventions in female populations.
The Office of Autoimmune Disease Research in ORWH (OADR-ORWH) is interested in:
- Supporting exposome science to investigate protective and driving factors of pre-clinical autoimmunity, disease inception, and flares in human cohorts. This may include studying the interplay of genetics, immunome, and the exposome across the lifespan.
Regine A. Douthard, M.D., M.P.H
[email protected]
Victoria Shanmugam, MBBS, MRCP, FACR, CCD
[email protected]
For this topic, THRO is interested in supporting work that brings together environmental scientists, engineers, and biomedical researchers to prevent or address exposures and the related illness in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Projects may propose prevention, intervention, behavioral, social, measurement, remediation, and/or any other appropriate form(s) of research. Projects may involve any setting(s) where exposures occur and any type of exposure(s) (e.g., through water, diet, occupation, etc.).
THRO encourages studies that:
- Explore AI/AN- and Tribe-specific exposures and related health concerns or disparities
- Explore approaches to reduce harmful exposure(s)
- Respect Tribal exposure priorities
- Use research approaches and measures that are culturally grounded
- Include AI/AN participants, practices, ways of knowledge, and relationships with the environment as much as possible
Sheila Caldwell, PhD
[email protected]
Christopher Barnhart, PhD
[email protected]
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