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RFA 23-1, Assessing Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution in a Changing Urban Transportation Landscape

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Number: 
RFA 23-1

RFA 23-1 is seeking to fund studies to assess health effects of long-term exposure to TRAP. Studies should propose novel or improved methods and approaches to evaluate exposure to and health effects of traffic-related air pollutants as technologies and fuels change, the fleet turns over, mobility transforms, and electrification makes greater inroads.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

RFA 23-1 seeks to fund studies that can accomplish at least one of the objectives listed below. Note that in meeting the first three objectives, investigators should consider whether their work can effectively include effects in marginalized communities in high-income countries.

  • In the proposed health studies, develop, validate, and apply novel or improved exposure assessment methods suitable for estimating exposures to traffic-related air pollutants that (1) account for other air pollution sources in urban areas (such as airports, (sea)ports, industries, and other local point sources), (2) could distinguish between tailpipe and non-tailpipe traffic emissions, to the maximum extent possible, and (3) take into consideration the overall impact of (new) transportation and mobility trends on air quality and exposure.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of key measures to reduce TRAP and improve public health, as well as to assess the health benefits of measures designed to mitigate traffic or achieve other policy objectives.
  • Estimate the impacts on urban air quality and health of various new transportation and mobility scenarios, including a baseline (status quo or "business as usual") scenario.
  • Investigate health effects of long-term exposure to TRAP in understudied low- and middle-income countries.

STUDY DURATION AND BUDGET GUIDELINES

Overall, a total of $5 million will be available for this RFA. HEI expects to fund a small number of studies (2 to 3 years in duration).

How to Apply

Please consult the Instructions and Forms and FAQs pages.

Forms & Other Information
Contact: 

Hanna Boogaard

,
jboogaard@healtheffects.org
Preliminary Application Due Date: 
March 15, 2023
Full Application Due Date: 
July 7, 2023

Ongoing studies funded under this RFA

BREATHE: Bridging Realms for Equitable Assessment of TRAP Health Effects

Michael Brauer
, 

The University of British Columbia, Canada

This project will link and extend several models to create a framework for full-chain assessment of transportation systems and impacts of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) on population health in the San Francisco Bay Area. The investigators will evaluate impacts of three policy scenarios — federal/California long-term transportation electrification, telecommuting impact from COVID-19, and a community-led scenario — on exposure to TRAP and associated mortality and morbidity outcomes, including environmental justice disparities.

Status: 
Ongoing
.  Read more...

Traffic‐related air pollution, lipoproteins, and cardiovascular disease risk in the VITamin D and OmegA‐3 TriaL (VITAL)

Heike Gibson
, 

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

This project will leverage an existing randomized control trial of older individuals in the United States to examine the associations of exposure to traffic-related air pollution and incident cardiovascular disease events and biomarkers of cardiovascular health. The investigators will also explore the potential for vitamin D and omega-fatty acid supplementation to modify the associations.

 

Status: 
Ongoing
.  Read more...

Predicting cardiometabolic health and air pollution in future transportation landscapes using agent-based models

Christoph Knote

This project will assess the impacts of future urban transportation landscapes on cardiometabolic health through novel exposure estimation together with air quality modeling of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). Exposures will be associated with markers of cardiovascular diseases using an existing population-based cohort in Augsburg, Germany. Findings will be then scaled up to the whole study area population (Munich metropolitan area), and eventually all of Germany. Various transportation scenarios will be evaluated, such as those related to transport infrastructure, technological advancements, and pricing policies.

Status: 
Ongoing
.  Read more...

Novel exposures, birth outcomes, and environmental justice in a changing transportation landscape

Suzanne Paulson
, 

University of California, Los Angeles, USA

This project will develop models relevant for characterizing exposures from vehicle (tailpipe and non-tailpipe), rail, and aircraft sources and relate those exposures to birth outcome data in the Los Angeles area. They will also include a social vulnerability analysis and will assess the effect of electric vehicles, flight technologies, and the COVID-19 travel disruptions on air pollution and birth outcomes.

Status: 
Ongoing
.  Read more...