Improving community health and safety during extreme heat
Center for Effective and Accessible Research-based Testing for Health (C-EARTH)
This center develops and tests practical ways to protect people and neighborhoods—especially those most at risk—during extreme heat events.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193870 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your neighbors could see researchers and community groups working together to create and try out practical ways to prevent heat-related harm. The team will partner with community health workers and nonprofits to identify who is most affected by extreme heat and run small pilot projects in neighborhoods. They will build data tools and local heat-tracking systems, fund community-based pilot grants, and train early-career investigators. Findings will be shared with local leaders to help turn successful approaches into policies, programs, and resources that communities can use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people who live or work in areas affected by extreme heat—especially older adults, people with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, and residents of low-income or underserved neighborhoods.
Not a fit: People who are not exposed to extreme heat or who live outside the partner communities and pilot locations are unlikely to benefit directly in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce heat-related illness and deaths, expand access to cooling and support, and guide local policies to protect vulnerable people.
How similar studies have performed: Some past programs like cooling centers, heat-warning systems, and community outreach have shown benefits, but this community-driven center model aims to bring those pieces together and more rigorously try and scale promising approaches.
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: Nadeau, Kari C. — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Nadeau, Kari C.
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.