Multidisciplinary research and training to address complex relationships among weather, climate, human health and ecosystems

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is widespread scientific consensus that the world's climate is changing and with it, the incidence, seasonal variation, and global distribution of infectious diseases and other climate-sensitive public health issues. The proposed cooperative agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) aims to shift and improve the way climate- sensitive health issues are addressed through the following activities: 1) Multi-disciplinary training of scientists in both climate science and public health in order to foster a generation of scientists better equipped to comprehensively address complex climate-sensitive health issues. These scientists will focus an ever-expanding need to confront gaps in research, and enhance current collaborative efforts between CDC and NCAR. 2) Targeted inter-disciplinary, collaborative research between CDC and NCAR to better understand the relationship between weather, climate and public health outcomes. This activity will augment and enhance the postdoctoral research activities by directly involving in the research senior level scientists from both institutions who have more specialized expertise and experience than postdoctoral researchers (e.g., climate modeling skills). 3) Enhancing partnerships among multiple sectors including government, state and local agencies, universities, non-governmental agencies and private organizations, in order to help prepare institutions to address health threats to populations in the face of climate change. Expected outcomes include 1) improved scientific knowledge of climate-sensitive public health issues through inter-disciplinary research; 2) progress toward intervention strategies and decision support tools to inform health officials and the general population of climate-sensitive public health issues, and 3) enhanced technical capability through the postdoctoral training program in climate and health, and through building institutional partnerships.