K43TW011954
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Children's Exposure to Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution within the SHEAR Project in Rwanda - Abstract
More than four million people die each year from exposure to outdoor air pollution, and nearly the same number perish from indoor exposure to dirty fuels. Despite the largest burden of disease being in developing countries, the vast majority of literature has focused on wealthy nations, and there is a particular absence of high-quality authorship on Sub-Saharan Africa. Children are highly susceptible to air pollution health impacts due to their high breathing rates, developing lung structures, and immune systems. Therefore, they are a population of particular interest when assessing the impacts of air pollution. However, this is not currently possible in the Sub-Saharan Africa region due to a lack of scientific understanding of the sources, causes, and impacts of air pollution, inefficient data collection and analysis, weak air quality standards, and inadequate funding for air quality monitoring stations.
Most studies on the health effects of air pollution on children have used exposure estimates from home locations. Only a small number have tested the association between outdoor air pollution levels measured inside and outside of households and a range of children's health outcomes, thus limiting the information on the extent to which indoor and outdoor air quality affect each other.
I propose here a research and career development plan to study children's exposure to air pollution in rural Rwanda and to address these knowledge gaps. The overall aims of the research are to develop a network of low-cost monitors for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution in rural Rwanda (Aim 1) and, in conjunction with exposure data collected from the SHEAR trial (described below), examine the extent to which both outdoor and indoor pollution sources contribute to children's exposure to PM2.5 (Aim 2). This research, conducted over 3 years, will synthesize current data and knowledge using field measurement, modeling, surveys, and multivariate analysis.
The proposed project aligns well with the Sustainable Household Energy Adoption in Rwanda (SHEAR) project, led by my mentoring team, which I will leverage for this K43. I will create a monitoring network and evaluate indoor/outdoor relationships using eligible households within the SHEAR project. Simultaneous personal (children's) and household-level measurements of exposure to PM2.5 will take place over a 3-year period, reflecting repeated measures by season. Chemical speciation of collected PM2.5 (organic and elemental carbon, metals, ions) will allow pollution exposures (at the community, household, personal level) to be apportioned to various indoor/outdoor sources (i.e., vehicle emissions, road dust, biomass smoke).
This research study will result in the publication of three peer-reviewed papers and a policy-focused report to the Rwanda government. This work will enable me to work directly with Drs. John Volckens and Maggie Clark, professors at Colorado State University (CSU), and Dr. Theoneste Ntakirutimana, professor at the University of Rwanda, recognized experts in air pollution, exposure science, epidemiology, and public health. The training activities will include (1) engineering/sensor development; (2) data science and statistics; (3) epidemiology and health effects; and (4) health communication.
More than four million people die each year from exposure to outdoor air pollution, and nearly the same number perish from indoor exposure to dirty fuels. Despite the largest burden of disease being in developing countries, the vast majority of literature has focused on wealthy nations, and there is a particular absence of high-quality authorship on Sub-Saharan Africa. Children are highly susceptible to air pollution health impacts due to their high breathing rates, developing lung structures, and immune systems. Therefore, they are a population of particular interest when assessing the impacts of air pollution. However, this is not currently possible in the Sub-Saharan Africa region due to a lack of scientific understanding of the sources, causes, and impacts of air pollution, inefficient data collection and analysis, weak air quality standards, and inadequate funding for air quality monitoring stations.
Most studies on the health effects of air pollution on children have used exposure estimates from home locations. Only a small number have tested the association between outdoor air pollution levels measured inside and outside of households and a range of children's health outcomes, thus limiting the information on the extent to which indoor and outdoor air quality affect each other.
I propose here a research and career development plan to study children's exposure to air pollution in rural Rwanda and to address these knowledge gaps. The overall aims of the research are to develop a network of low-cost monitors for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution in rural Rwanda (Aim 1) and, in conjunction with exposure data collected from the SHEAR trial (described below), examine the extent to which both outdoor and indoor pollution sources contribute to children's exposure to PM2.5 (Aim 2). This research, conducted over 3 years, will synthesize current data and knowledge using field measurement, modeling, surveys, and multivariate analysis.
The proposed project aligns well with the Sustainable Household Energy Adoption in Rwanda (SHEAR) project, led by my mentoring team, which I will leverage for this K43. I will create a monitoring network and evaluate indoor/outdoor relationships using eligible households within the SHEAR project. Simultaneous personal (children's) and household-level measurements of exposure to PM2.5 will take place over a 3-year period, reflecting repeated measures by season. Chemical speciation of collected PM2.5 (organic and elemental carbon, metals, ions) will allow pollution exposures (at the community, household, personal level) to be apportioned to various indoor/outdoor sources (i.e., vehicle emissions, road dust, biomass smoke).
This research study will result in the publication of three peer-reviewed papers and a policy-focused report to the Rwanda government. This work will enable me to work directly with Drs. John Volckens and Maggie Clark, professors at Colorado State University (CSU), and Dr. Theoneste Ntakirutimana, professor at the University of Rwanda, recognized experts in air pollution, exposure science, epidemiology, and public health. The training activities will include (1) engineering/sensor development; (2) data science and statistics; (3) epidemiology and health effects; and (4) health communication.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER (FIC) SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND TO FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN U.S. SCIENTISTS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ABROAD. FIC SUPPORTS BASIC BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, AS WELL AS RELATED RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. THE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNDING MECHANISMS TO MEET PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVES.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Rwanda
Geographic Scope
Foreign
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 192% from $79,432 to $232,118.
University Of Rwanda was awarded
Children's Air Pollution Exposure in Rwanda - SHEAR Project
Project Grant K43TW011954
worth $232,118
from Fogarty International Center in September 2021 with work to be completed primarily in Rwanda.
The grant
has a duration of 2 years 8 months and
was awarded through assistance program 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Emerging Global Leader Award (K43 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
Status
(Complete)
Last Modified 1/6/25
Period of Performance
9/15/21
Start Date
5/31/24
End Date
Funding Split
$232.1K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$232.1K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to K43TW011954
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
K43TW011954
SAI Number
K43TW011954-2729644498
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
75NF00 NIH FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER
Funding Office
75NF00 NIH FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER
Awardee UEI
LL4QMJK6ZAH5
Awardee CAGE
SPL01
Performance District
Not Applicable
Budget Funding
| Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Health and Human Services (075-0819) | Health research and training | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $152,686 | 100% |
Modified: 1/6/25