The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is now accepting proposals for the 2021 Grants Program strategic initiative: Occupational exposure to asbestos and the development of lung cancer (Systematic review)

Proposal deadline: February 18, 2022

To express interest and obtain an application form, please email grants@wsib.on.ca.

New funding opportunity

The WSIB is interested in awarding a grant for a systematic review evaluating the scientific evidence for an association between primary site lung cancer and occupational exposure to asbestos.

Outcomes from the systematic review may be considered by the WSIB to determine whether the scientific evidence meets the recommended standards for scheduling, policy development or to underpin adjudicative support in case-by-case decision-making.

Specifically, the review must address:

• risk of developing primary-site lung cancer in asbestos-exposed workers, with the role of asbestosis also addressed
• Identification of:
• subgroups of workers with occupational asbestos exposure who have an increased risk of developing lung cancer
• any exposure-response trends of increasing risk with increasing duration, frequency or intensity of exposure, including whether there is a minimum cumulative dose of exposure associated with increased risk 
• minimal interval (latency) between the first exposure and the development of lung cancer
• any interdependent causes or synergistic relationships with other risk factors
• where available, identification of the scientific evidence on the role of asbestosis

For more information about the strategic initiative and the application process, please visit our website. To express interest and obtain an application form, please email grants@wsib.on.ca.