PRESS RELEASE
December 21, 2023
Grand Island, New York
Dr. Julie Postma, who serves as workshop faculty in the EHRI-NCS program, has been named to the prestigious 2024 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Climate and Health Scholars cohort. Dr. Postma’s academic home institution is Washington State University, where she leads as Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Nursing. EHRI-NCS stands for Environmental Health Research Institute for Nurse and Clinician Scientists. EHRI-NCS is delivered as a multi-site partnership among Emory University, Castner Incorporated, Washington State University, University of Alabama in Huntsville, and expert individual scientists from across the nation with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.
As an established nurse scientist, Dr. Postma will work from NIH’s National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) to share knowledge and build the nation’s capacity to address climate-related health problems through research and innovation. “In my role as an NIMHD Climate and Health Scholar I will shine a light on community-engaged research promoting climate justice” Postma shared. “Dr. Postma ’s appointment as NIH Climate and Health Scholar is an important testament to nurses leading research and innovation to help solve one of the most pressing problems of our time” relayed Linda McCauley, Dean and Professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
“Environmental justice issues like environmental racism” are also examined as part of the EHRI-NCS workshop, says Dr. Felesia Bowen, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, emphasizing how important it is for researchers to understand how unjust environmental exposures “contribute to poor health and premature death in historically underrepresented communities.” Dr. Postma will have a key role in shaping national research directions in health disparities and climate change.
Applications are now open for the 2024 EHRI-NCS cohort. The program is supported by a $1 Million grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The EHRI-NCS program is recruiting clinician scientists who will educate, train, and mentor registered nurses in research trajectories. At a minimum, the program is recruiting those who have completed at least 6 academic credits of graduate research. The 2023 cohort will be offered a mix of virtual and in-person resources. An in-person workshop will be hosted in Niagara Falls, New York in July of 2024. Participants will have self-paced access to online resources before the in-person event. Participants will also receive ongoing mentorship support. The event is part of a train-the-trainer program for researchers.
“Environmental justice issues like environmental racism” are also examined by EHRI-NCS participants, says Dr. Felesia Bowen, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing. Dr. Bowen is an advisory committee member and guest faculty for the EHRI-NCS program. “It is imperative that they understand these concepts and how they contribute to poor health and premature death in historically underrepresented communities.”
The EHRI-NCS program enrolls a new cohort every year.
–Opinions stated here are our own and do not reflect the opinion of the NIH, the host Institute.
Castner Incorporated is a New York State woman-owned business enterprise and research institute. The mission of Castner Incorporated is creating healthy environments by generating new knowledge and data-driven approaches for where people live, work, play, and learn.
The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to promote healthy people and healthy environments by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating evidence-based practice, and influencing policy.
More information on the 2024 cohort of NIH Climate and Health Scholars can be found on the NIH CCH Webpage (https://www.nih.gov/climateandhealth#scholars)
- Meet the 2024 NIH CH Scholars: https://www.nih.gov/climate-change-health/meet-2024-nih-climate-health-scholars
- More info about the NIH CH Scholars Program: https://www.nih.gov/climateandhealth#scholars
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EHRI-NCS Enrollment Applications:
Enrollment applications for the 2024 cohort are being accepted. Apply now.