Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (EHSRC)

The mission of the EHSRC is to continually advance knowledge and awareness of environmental health-based information that improves the quality of life among rural and agricultural populations.
The goals of the EHSRC are to:

• coordinate and nurture highly productive interdisciplinary environmental health sciences research with a focus on reducing adverse health effects of environmental contaminants among rural and agricultural populations
• promote research interactions between existing environmental health academic units, enhance ongoing environmental health research, and facilitate initiation of new collaborative and interdisciplinary environmental health research
• translate research findings to policy to improve the health and environment in agricultural and rural areas
• serve as a technical resource to the State of Iowa, the region, the nation, and to international agencies in the area of agricultural and rural environmental health.

Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH)

Serving nine states of the Upper Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MO, MN, NE, OH, and WI), the GPCAH is dedicated to finding ways to prevent agricultural injury and illness and improve safety and health among agricultural communities.  To accomplish this mission, the Center advances knowledge through scientific research and prevents agricultural injury and illness through education, outreach, and intervention programs. As the region’s most well-established agricultural health and safety resource, Great Plains Center activities are highly relevant to agricultural workers, health department officials, community organizations, public health scientists, physicians, and researchers committed to protecting the health and safety of all persons engaged in agricultural work.

Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence (HWCE)

The HWCE was established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 2006 as one of three centers dedicated to improving the health of workers nationally through integrated wellness and ergonomic research, collaboration with peer institutions, and dissemination of successful interventions.
The Center is designed to:

• implement, evaluate and compare two health protection/health promotion models for the private and public sectors: a) an intervention based on an integrated worker safety/health promotion committee, and b) an intervention using health counseling to integrate the delivery of health protection and health promotion services in the public sector
• establish a learning network of interactive partnerships with employers, employee groups (including unions), and health organizations
• serve as a state and national resources for information, education, and policy related to employee health programs

Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety

As the NIOSH-funded Education and Research Center (ERC) for Federal Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska), the Heartland Center provides graduate training in industrial hygiene, ergonomics, agricultural safety & health, occupational injury prevention, and occupational safety. The Center also provides post-graduate/continuing education courses for professionals to update their skills in occupational health and safety and offers a pilot grant research program.

Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC)

Since 1991, the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (UI IPRC) has worked to reduce injuries and violence, especially in rural communities. The center brings together over 70 researchers from 30 departments and 9 colleges, collaborating with public health agencies and more than 30 stakeholders statewide. It supports research, education, and outreach through eight Research and Practice Action Teams (RPATs) focused on key areas like childhood trauma, drug overdose, firearm safety, intimate partner violence, older adult falls, suicide prevention, and trauma care.

In addition, the center:

• Creates and shares educational resources, providing the public and state agencies with up-to-date, critical safety information.
• Conducts life-saving research to prevent deaths from traumatic injuries and violence, and to reduce costly, life-altering injuries in Iowa and beyond.
• Partners with state agencies to link data sets, identify injury and violence threats, and evaluate prevention programs for effectiveness.
• Trains current and future safety professionals through classes, hands-on learning, and mentorship.

Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (I-CASH)

I-CASH was created in 1990 by Iowa’s state legislature to identify and prevent health and safety incidents among Iowa’s farm communities. The center functions as a statewide network of public and private agricultural health and safety organizations, with the organizational hub located at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. I-CASH envisions safe and healthy farming for all Iowans, and their mission is to lead statewide partnerships that promote agricultural safety and health. Strong partnerships with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Health and Human Services, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, as well as integral advisory board members increase I-CASH’s impact. I-CASH is primarily an outreach organization, working to connect with rural communities across the state. Staff are often curating custom presentations and workshops for various events. Among the numerous outreach, prevention, and research programs are three core programs: 

• Seasonal Campaigns – I-CASH Seasonal Campaigns are distributed quarterly to every county in the state through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Farm Service Agency offices. These multi-media campaigns may include printable handouts or posters, newspaper columns, or radio public service announcements. They also typically include a useful safety item giveaway. Examples of past giveaways include tire pressure gauges, reflective lighting and marking tape, and safety glasses. 
• Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Conference – Each year, I-CASH, with the support of other partners, presents the Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health (MRASH) conference.  The conference brings together safety and health researchers and professionals, health care providers, farmers, and rural advocates all committed to building a safer and healthier agriculture. 
• Agricultural Youth Grants – Every year I-CASH has funds available for small grants to community youth groups for farm safety-related projects.  Agricultural youth groups across the state design and implement creative agricultural safety and health interventions in their community, such as farm safety days, distributing PPE, or creating county fair displays. In addition, I-CASH awards an Outstanding Youth Grant Award that carries an additional cash prize and is presented at the annual Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Conference.