After each new environmental emergency, responders, researchers and stakeholders race to determine known and unknown information on exposures, health impacts and to develop questionnaires to evaluate a situation. The tools created for studying exposures after each disaster are often difficult to find and delayed in deploying to the field by IRB and internal processes. Multiple barriers can prevent the collection of important exposure data that may inform policies and safety during response and recovery. Objectives To address the many barriers to rapid disaster research, presented by internal processes and external policies, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a new Disaster Research Response Program (DR2). The DR2 Program aims to develop a system of needed products, processes, and relationships to encourage rapid 'bench to trench' transdisciplinary research to better understand the human health impacts of environmental disasters for informing scientists and policymakers. Addressing issues of ethics, exposure science, tool development and integration with emergency response, DR2's goals will advance the field of exposure science and disaster research, while improving human health. Methods DR2 conducted a literature search to identify questionnaires used in past disasters, and collected meta-data on tool types, languages and exposures assessed. DR2 developed the Rapid Acquisition of Pre- and Post-Incident Disaster Data Study (RAPIDD) protocol to asses occupational and disaster exposures among response workers. DR2 has also engaged the NIH IRB to begin to address logistical and ethical barriers to rapidly approving a disaster protocol. DR2 has also begun work with disaster and health response agencies to explain the importance of exposure science and to begin integrating research into responses. Results DR2 has successfully removed barriers to rapid exposure research. Tools and resources are publically available for researchers and easy to find. The RAPIDD protocol can be customized for length of administration, and includes the ability to collect biomarkers of exposure. RAPIDD has received conditional approval from the NIH IRB, allowing a shorter turn around following an event. The NIH 'Best Practices Working Group for the Development of Special Considerations for IRB Review of Disaster and Emergency Related Public Health Research" has begun addressing institutional barriers to rapid IRB approval. Following multiple events in the US, DR2 has been called by other agencies for support. The program has bridged disciplines, both internal to research organizations and with external agencies, to improve exposure science responses to disasters and better inform response and recovery policy.
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