National Security and Emergency Management

ORISE prepares DOE and other government agencies by managing and conducting programs, studies, research, exercises and training related to national security and emergency preparedness.

Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site

ORISE provides expertise in the medical management of radiation incidents through the operation of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS), a dedicated DOE facility located in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Worker Health Studies

ORISE provides DOE and the scientific community with important information regarding the long-term health outcomes affecting current and former energy workers.

Health Communication and Training

ORISE collaborates with federal, state and local agencies to provide health communication and training solutions that enhance the well-being of the public and the nation’s workers.

Scientific Peer Review

ORISE manages a credible and customizable peer review process that is helping DOE and other government agencies make informed decisions about the quality of the science they pursue.

University Radioactive Ion Beam Consortium

The University Radioactive Ion Beam (UNIRIB) consortium consists of eight member universities that partner to perform basic nuclear physics research using the fast-growing technique of radioactive ion beams.

Scientific Research Opportunities

ORISE manages research participation programs at the undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate and faculty levels at DOE and other government facilities across the United States.

Climate and Atmospheric Research

Through the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, ORISE works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to perform research focused on air quality, contaminant dispersion and climate.

Environmental Assessments and Health Physics

ORISE instills confidence in environmental cleanup through survey assessments, health physics evaluations and hands-on, laboratory-based training in the radiation sciences.

Climate and Atmospheric Research

Through the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, ORISE works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to perform air quality, contaminant dispersion and climate research.

Health Physics

Through Oak Ridge Associated Universities, ORISE's managing contractor, health physics and radiation safety training courses are offered for participants performing work in the radiation sciences.

Radiation Emergency Medicine

Continuing education courses taught through the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) at ORISE focus on radiation emergency medicine and the medical management of radiation incidents.

Emergency Preparedness

ORISE emergency planners train government agencies on how to build effective response and preparedness plans, as well as teach best practices to improve communication among emergency response teams.

Health Communication and Training

ORISE develops training and education programs designed to address public health topics. Training is delivered via e-learning, multimedia applications and traditional classroom instruction.

Health Communication

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Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education

Resources

HealthCommWorks communication tool to help health communicators more effectively disseminate key messages

In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ORISE recently launched a new online platform of health communication tools called HealthCommWorks. Developed for the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, HealthCommWorks is designed to help health communication professionals develop and disseminate effective messages.

When the CDC teamed up with ORISE, they envisioned a workspace characterized by research-based guidance and collaboration across the global health communication community. This vision became a reality when the first module, named MessageWorks was unveiled in August 2012 at the CDC’s National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media.

HealthCommWorks logo

MessageWorks helps users craft new messages, assess existing messages and match messages to the most appropriate audience segments. Unlike more subjective approaches, MessageWorks is based on an empirical model developed by professors Punam Anand Keller and Donald Lehman of Dartmouth and recommends tactics that research indicates aid in effective communication. MessageWorks also allows users to share virtual workspaces to gain peer insights. In addition to making recommendations for improvements, MessageWorks gives the health communicator bullet points that can be used to defend decisions made about a message.

In addition to MessageWorks, the new SocialWorks tool that assists communicators with integrating social media strategies in their planning, was recently launched. A third tool known as ProofWorks is scheduled for release in spring 2013 and will provide guidance in establishing short- and long-term evaluation plans.

Visit www.healthcommworks.org for more information.