Portland, Maine —The MEMIC Safety Research Center has awarded its 2025 workplace safety research grant to the University of Cincinnati for a pioneering study aimed at improving ergonomic conditions for long-term healthcare workers. The announcement was made during a live virtual event on August 1, attended by MEMIC team members, researchers, and industry stakeholders.

Led by Dr. Kermit Davis, Professor and Division Director of Environmental and Industrial Hygiene at the University of Cincinnati, the research will use wearable sensor technology to track postural stressors among nurses and nursing aides in long-term care facilities. The study aims to quantify the physical demands and discomfort experienced by these essential workers, with the goal of informing interventions that reduce injury risk and improve workplace safety.

“This project addresses a critical gap in our understanding of the ergonomic challenges faced by caregivers in long-term care,” said Maryann Hoff, MEMIC’s Vice President of Safety & Loss Control. “We’re proud to support research that not only advances safety science but also has the potential to improve the lives of healthcare workers.”

The study will involve 100 participants from facilities in the Cincinnati tri-state area, using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and accelerometers to monitor posture and movement throughout multiple work shifts. Data will be analyzed to identify patterns of strain and discomfort, with comparisons between nurses and aides to uncover role-specific risks.

Dr. Davis emphasized the importance of the research: “Long-term care workers are the backbone of our healthcare system, yet they face significant physical demands that often go unmeasured. This grant allows us to bring objective data to the conversation and develop solutions that can make a real difference.”

The MEMIC Safety Research Center grant program, now in its fourth year, supports innovative academic research that advances workplace safety across industries. Previous recipients include Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Illinois State University and Oklahoma State University, whose VR-based safety training project will be showcased in an upcoming webinar in early 2026.

MEMIC will begin accepting proposals for the 2026 grant cycle this winter. For more information, visit www.memic.com.