The High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (HICAHS) aims to advance agricultural health and safety through research. Funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), HICAHS focuses on identifying and addressing emerging health risks in agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries to improve the safety and health of regional producers and workers in the High Plains Intermountain Region.
The Emerging Issues Grant Program, by HICAHS, seeks to fund projects that address new or expanding health risks in agriculture, offering up to $25,000 for selected projects. This initiative accepts applications on an ongoing basis, emphasizing the need for rapid response to emerging health and safety concerns. Current priorities include mental health, substance abuse, climate change impacts like heat stress, labor issues, robotics, zoonotic diseases, and several others. Projects should present a clear burden, emerging need, and measurable impact, aiming to enhance injury and illness prevention in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors.