Community cooling solutions for heat-related health
Implementation Solutions, and Evaluation Core
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · NIH-11193902
This project helps communities in Boston, Madagascar, and South Africa try and improve cooling approaches so fewer people get sick from extreme heat.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11193902 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a community perspective, the team partners with local residents and leaders in Boston, Madagascar, and South Africa to introduce and refine practical cooling options like shade, fans, water access, and behavior changes. They will collect both numbers (for example, heat-related illness counts) and personal stories to learn which approaches people actually use and find acceptable. The core coordinates rigorous data analysis and uses participatory methods so community members help shape the solutions and the materials for local decision-makers. The goal is to create clear, locally tailored tools and policies that cities and communities can adopt to reduce harm from heat.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are community members, caregivers, and local leaders who live in heat-vulnerable neighborhoods in Boston, Madagascar, or South Africa and who are willing to try or help implement cooling options.
Not a fit: People who live outside the participating locations or whose heat risk is unrelated to local environmental conditions (for example, those needing clinical medical treatments) are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower heat-related sickness and deaths in the participating communities and provide templates other cities can copy.
How similar studies have performed: There have been some successful local cooling interventions, but using a participatory implementation-science approach across diverse global sites is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: RAMANADHAN, SHOBA — HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- Study coordinator: RAMANADHAN, SHOBA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.