2022 Hybrid Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition

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Project Summary/Abstract The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is pleased to submit an application for funding assistance under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), FOA Number: PAR-19-306. Despite the overwhelming challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental health (EH) professionals continue to seek critical continuing education and training resources. With the large variance of travel restrictions in place around the country and globe—coupled with the demand for in-person opportunities to connect, engage, and expand networks—NEHA has transitioned the 2022 Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition to a hybrid conference on June 28–July 1 in Spokane, Washington and virtually. The AEC is designed to train, educate, and advance EH professionals, as well as bring people together both in-person and virtually to build a network of EH colleagues, exchange information, and discover new and practical solutions to food safety and other EH issues. The AEC brings together over 1,000 state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal EH and public health professionals from health and environmental protection agencies as well as the private sector, academia, uniformed services, and international jurisdictions. The AEC provides a means to translate field- based research into action on food safety and other EH topics and address environmental exposures and health risks. The theme for the NEHA 2022 AEC is “Safeguarding a Road Less Traveled.” EH professionals have been on the frontline of an unprecedented pandemic. COVID- 19 brought with it changes to roles and increased responsibilities. The 2022 AEC will bring together EH professionals to share experiences, research, expertise, and best practices as we work together in safeguarding a new post-pandemic world. The vision of FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs that “all food is safe…and the public health is advanced and protected,” as well as its mission to protect consumers and enhance public health by maximizing compliance and minimizing risk aligns with NEHA’s mission to “build, sustain, and empower an effective environmental health workforce.” Both missions are embodied in the AEC. NEHA requests funding assistance to develop, administer, and conduct the 2022 AEC. NEHA anticipates an estimated cost of $750,000 for the 2022 Hybrid AEC and is requesting assistance in the amount of $50,000. NEHA requests funding to assist with virtual platform and audio/visual costs necessary to provide high quality education to meet the needs of EH professionals.