Health Resources in Action (HRiA) is seeking applications from school districts across the country to participate in an economic assessment of the implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs www.asthmaregionalcouncil.org/our-work/keeping-the-pests-out/. The project, Keeping the Pests Out: The Economics of IPM in Schools, is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, and will inform school pest management policies nationwide. We appreciate if you would share this on-line RFQ http://bit.ly/HRiAIPM with your public health and school networks.
Exposure to pesticides is a public health and environmental issue. IPM is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices that focus on prevention, reduction and the elimination of conditions that lead to pest infestations. The goal of IPM is to provide the safest, most effective, most economical, and sustained remedy to pest infestations. IPM reduces the risk from pests while reducing the risk from the overuse or inappropriate use of hazardous chemical pest-control products. (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/Docs/Factsheets/What_Is_Integrated_Pest_Management.pdf)
Benefits for school districts participating:
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The economic assessment is provided free to the selected school districts.
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Each of the selected three school districts will be compensated $6000 for their participation over the project period.
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Districts will receive a detailed cost analysis for their selected schools on pre-post IPM implementation. HRiA will conduct the analysis on two-four schools per district.
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Districts will receive national visibility (if they so choose). Case studies will inform school pest management policy nationwide. Districts may request that their case study be anonymous, or may choose to be identified for their participation in this EPA-funded project. We anticipate that project results will be broadly disseminated. This will potentially include publication in peer reviewed journals, webinars and case studies posted on numerous websites.
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The evaluation may help to identify best practices for IPM implementation, enhancements/ improvements and/or cost savings measures. This may benefit selected districts when updating or improving bid specifications for IPM contractors.
HRiA will hold an Informational webinar: April 20th at 2pm EST (register)
Application deadline: May 6, 2016 submitted on-line or by e-mail.