Safer Ports: Hazardous-Materials and Disaster Training for Maritime Workers
Official title: Project SEAMIST
Funded at Nova Southeastern University · NIH-11135176 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program offers practical safety and hazardous-materials training for adults who work on U.S. waterways, ports, and related industries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nova Southeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Lauderdale-Davie, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 17, 2010 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $822,524 |
| NIH project number | 2U45ES019350-16 |
| Project ID | NIH-11135176 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adult (21+) maritime and port workers, dockhands, transport personnel, and local first responders who handle or respond to hazardous materials are ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not work on waterways, in ports, or in related jobs are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this training.
What this research studies
If you work on boats, at docks, or move goods through rivers and ports, this program provides hands-on classes and resources on handling hazardous materials, preventing workplace injuries, and responding to disasters. Organizers have run trainings across the U.S., delivering over 1,300 sessions to more than 22,000 participants to date. Sessions teach safe handling, personal protective equipment, spill response, and coordination with first responders and are often delivered where workers live and work. The effort builds on an existing cooperative program aimed at reducing injuries and improving disaster preparedness in maritime communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could reduce injuries and deaths among maritime workers and improve safety during hazardous-material incidents at ports.
How similar studies have gone: Yes — prior SEAMIST and HazMIRTSI programs have already run thousands of trainings and reached over 22,000 participants, so this continues an established approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale-Davie, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cohen, Darren — Nova Southeastern University
- Study coordinator: Cohen, Darren
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Fluoride's impact on children's tooth development and health
This grant investigates how fluoride affects growing teeth in children, aiming to understand how overexposure could cause dental and bone issues later in life.
-
Fever-related heat and disturbed blood flow weaken the artery lining via a cellular stress pathway
This study will explore how fever-range heat and uneven blood flow together harm the inner lining of arteries, especially in areas prone to atherosclerosis, by triggering a specific cellular stress pathway.
-
Epigenetic control of heart energy by noncoding RNAs in ketosis and fasting
A study in heart failure models to understand how long noncoding RNAs affect heart cell energy when people follow ketosis or intermittent fasting.
-
P. gingivalis and stem cells in gum disease
This grant looks at how a gum bacteria may cause gum tissue stem cells to die, which could explain why periodontal disease damages teeth support.
-
Digital speech markers to track bulbar decline in Spanish-speaking ALS patients
A smartphone app will collect Spanish-language speech data from ALS patients to detect early bulbar decline and help guide timely care.
-
Hazardous Material Response Training for Maritime Industry Workers
A training program helps maritime workers learn how to respond safely to hazardous material incidents and protect themselves and the public.
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.