I. Executive Summary

The Health and Environmental Risk Institute (hereafter known as HERI) was established in 1994. HERI members include faculty and staff from the Colleges of Engineering, Medicine, Law, Design, Architecture, Art & Planning (DAAP), and Arts & Sciences (see ATTACHMENT A for HERI membership list). Over the past four years, HERI members have engaged in interdisciplinary research activities ranging from grant proposals to sponsored research projects to presentations and publications.

This report provides an account of HERI sponsored research and scholarly activities for the period of September 1, 1997 - August 31, 1998. Included in the report are a review of last year's activities, a financial report, and a look ahead to 1998-99.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Throughout the 1997-98 academic year, HERI members continued monthly meetings to discuss opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration on sponsored research and publication projects. In addition, a number of organizational issues emerged during the September, 1997 HERI retreat that became a focal point of discussions for the year. At the retreat, HERI members identified a number of concrete organizational objectives for the year, including the drafting of organizational bylaws and a strategic plan. Over the next several months, the group accomplished both objectives. ATTACHMENT B is the set of organizational Bylaws established this year, and ATTACHMENT C is the HERI Strategic Plan. Both documents will guide future HERI activities.

SPONSORED RESEARCH ACTIVITY

During 1997-98, HERI members worked together on a myriad of sponsored research projects pertaining to issues such as environmental justice, risk assessment, and risk communication. HERI members continued or completed work on projects previously awarded by the Agency for Toxic, Substances and Disease Registry, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the League of Women Voters Education Fund, and U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, new interdisciplinary research projects were submitted to a variety of funders, including: the Department of Energy, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the National Science Foundation, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Cincinnati's University Research Council and Faculty Development Council, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

During 1997-98, HERI members collaboratively submitted a total of 26 new grant proposals totaling nearly $4 million in funds requested. Of those proposals, HERI members received eight awards totaling over $190,000 in new awards. Seven additional proposals totaling nearly $1.6 million in requested awards are currently under review by state and federal agencies. In addition, HERI maintained a business partnership through consulting with community groups and contractors at the DOE Mound site in Miamisburg, Ohio.

HERI sponsored research activity over the past year has involved 28 different faculty and staff members from five different colleges. See ATTACHMENT D for a complete list of HERI sponsored research proposals and awards.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

During the past year, HERI members have produced a number of single-authored and co-authored scholarly works pertaining to environmental and health risk issues. Listed in ATTACHMENT E are 32 publications and 20 presentations representing a sample of relevant research and publication activities of HERI members over the past year.

Working together on scholarly endeavors has led HERI members to appreciate that the study of risk in the classroom, laboratory, and the field requires the incorporation of a broad range of disciplinary understandings and perspectives. HERI continues to provide a structure through which faculty from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and programs can explore the many facets of health and environmental risk assessment and risk communication.

WORKSHOP ON RISK, UNCERTAINTY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

During the spring of 1998, HERI organized and promoted a workshop to provide environmental professionals and interested community members with a pragmatic approach for conducting and evaluating human health risk assessments, and effectively communicating and engaging affected stakeholders in the risk management process. The workshop, scheduled for September 9-10, 1998, is to be hosted by HERI and the University of Cincinnati. See ATTACHMENT F for more information about the HERI workshop. It is hoped that this workshop will serve as a model for future HERI educational outreach activities.