1. National Academies Review of the NIOSH Hearing Loss Research Program
Lewis V. Wade, Ph.D.
Senior Science Advisor
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
January 5, 2006

2. Presentation Objectives
NIOSH goals for this review
Overview of NIOSH and it’s research programs
Questions and Discussion

3. Review of NIOSH Research Programs
Conduct a series of studies to review NIOSH research activities with respect to:
Impact of completed research in the workplace
Relevance of research conducted
Significant emerging issues

4. Why has NIOSH undertaken this review?

5. Quantitative Results
“The committee will rate the performance of each program activity on a scale of 1 – 5 for the impact of the program in the workplace and for the success of the program in achieving its goals. For cases where the impact is difficult to measure, the committee may evaluate performance by using existing intermediate outcomes to estimate impact.”

6. Performance Measurement
GPRA: Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, PL
Strategic and performance plans
Performance reports
PART: Program Assessment Rating Tool,
President’s Management Council, 2002
Systematic method of assessing
performance of program activities

7. Overview of NIOSH Research Programs

8. U.S. Occupational Illness and Injuries
Work-related fatalities per day
16 from injuries (5524 in 2002)
137 from diseases
4.4 million non-fatal illnesses and injuries
(2003)
$49.6 billion -- direct costs for
occupational injuries (2002)*
Liberty Mutual Safety Index, 2004 *

9. OSH Act of 1970 PL 91-596 (1970) created OSHA and NIOSH
To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women

10. Occupational Safety and Health
Regulation/Enforcement
Research and
Prevention Recommendations
Department of Labor
(DOL)
Department of
Health and Human Services
(HHS)
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(CDC)
Mine Safety
and Health
Administration
(MSHA)
Occupational
Safety and Health
Administration
(OSHA)
National Institute for
Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH)

11. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The sole federal government organization charged with conducting occupational safety and health research.

12. NIOSH Vision Delivering on the nation’s promise –
safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention

13. NIOSH Values Relevance Diversity Quality Partnership Access
Performance
Accountability

14. NIOSH Strategic Goals
Conduct research to reduce work-related illnesses and injuries.
Promote safe and healthy workplaces through interventions, recommendations and capacity building.
Enhance global workplace safety and health through international collaborations

15. NIOSH Research Agenda Before 1996: After 1996:
National symposia on the leading causes of occupationally-related illness and injury
Ten strategies
After 1996:
National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)

16. National Occupational Research Agenda (1996)
A national partnership effort
500 organizations and individuals outside NIOSH
21 research priorities to guide OSH research in the nation for the next decade

17. NORA (1996) Ongoing Effectiveness Evaluation
Pre-award competitive external scientific review
Mid-course external review of program
Annual internal assessment of progress and success
NORA at nine review

18. Develop sector specific research agendas to bring research to practice in the workplace
Accept stakeholder input (
Kick-off at the 2006 NORA Symposium on April 17-20, 2006

19. Research Councils: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing Services
Construction
Health care and social assistance
Manufacturing
Mining
Services
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
Wholesale and retail trade
Cross-sector issues

20. Board of Scientific Counselors
The Board of Scientific Counselors shall provide guidance to the Director, NIOSH, on research and preventions programs. Specifically, the Board shall provide guidance on the Institute's research activities related to developing and evaluating hypotheses, systematically documenting findings and disseminating results. The Board shall evaluate the degree to which the activities of NIOSH: (1) Conform to appropriate scientific standards, (2) address current, relevant needs, and (3) produce intended results.

21. NIOSH Operational Logic Model
Mission: To Provide National and World Leadership to Prevent Work-related Illnesses and Injuries
Research Partners
External Factors :
Economic and social
conditions and regulatory
environment
Improvements
in safety and
health in
workplaces
Research *
Surveillance ,
epidemiological and
behavioral studies
intervention studies
laboratory and field
studies
exposure
measurements and
risk assessment
control studies and
development
PPE studies and
Intramural and
extramural
including
domestic and
international efforts
such as work
conducted at ERCs
ARCs and WHO
Global Network of
Collaborating Centers
OSHA
MSHA
other federal
agencies ;
NIOSH
programs
Congress
State
&
local
standards
bodies
labor
trade and
professional
associations
technology
developers and
manufacturers
other
researchers SH
practitioners
Employees
employers
industry
educators
regulators
who reduce or
prevent
hazardous
exposures or
conditions
Activities
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities
Outputs
Final Activities (
transformation
) (
implementation )
End
Outcomes T r a n s f e
Transfer -
translation of
research into
practice
products
and technologies
information
dissemination
capacity building
through technical
assistance
HHE’s
training
and education
Conduct Surveillance and evaluate intervention effectiveness
Recommendations
reports
publications
workshops
databases
conferences
training and education
materials and
demonstration programs
trained professionals
tools and methods
best
practices
developmental
technologies
licenses
patents
Outputs
Pilot and / or
market ready
training and
education
guidance
regulations
major media
releases
websites
Feedback
Inputs
Production
Planning

22. NIOSH Operational Logic Model
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities Outputs Final Activities
(transformation) (implementation)
End
Outcomes
Transfer

23. NIOSH Operational Logic Model
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities Outputs Final Activities
(transformation) (Implementation)
End
Outcomes
Transfer

24. NIOSH Budget: 2000 – 2006 (proposed)
$ Millions
286
286
276
273
277
260
226
2000
2002
2004
2006

25. NIOSH Locations and Staff
~1300 FTEs in:
Cincinnati
Morgantown
Pittsburgh
Spokane
Atlanta
Washington

26. NIOSH Staff Census by Occupation (Selected Research Categories)
Total NIOSH FTEs = 1300

27. Divisions, Labs, and Offices
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
Division of Safety Research
Health Effects Laboratory Division
Spokane Research Laboratory
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
Education and Information Division
Division of Applied Research and Technology
Division of Surveillance Hazard Evaluation and Field Studies
Office of Compensation Analysis and Support

28. Extramural Programs
Total: ~$100M

29. Intermediate and Final Activities
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities Outputs  Final Activities
(transformation) (Implementation)
End
Outcomes
Transfer

30. Research Program Portfolio (includes all NIOSH research projects)
Sector programs
Cross-sector programs
Tools and emphasis areas

31. Sector Programs (8) Agricultural, forestry & fishing Construction
Healthcare & social assistance
Manufacturing
Mining
Public and private services
Trade
Transportation, warehousing & utilities

32. Cross-Sector Programs (15)
Authoritative recommendations development
Cancer, reproductive, cardiovascular, neurologic & renal diseases
Communications & information dissemination
Emergency preparedness/response
Global collaborations
Health hazard evaluation
Hearing loss prevention

33. Cross-Sector Programs (15) (continued)
Immune, dermal & infectious diseases
Musculoskeletal disorders
Personal protective technology
Radiation dose reconstruction
Respiratory diseases
Training grants
Traumatic injury
Work organization & stress-related disorders

34. Tools and Emphasis Programs (7)
Economics
Exposure assessment
Engineering controls
WorkLife initiative
Occupational health disparities
Small business assistance and outreach
Surveillance

35. NIOSH Research-to-Practice Program
Conceiving, Planning, Conducting, Evaluating, and Translating Research with our Partners…and with Impact in Mind

36. Intermediate and Final Activities
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities Outputs  Final Activities
(transformation) (Implementation)
End
Outcomes
Transfer

37. Research Outputs Peer-reviewed publications NIOSH publications
Communications to regulatory agencies or Congress

38. Intermediate and Final Activities
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities Outputs Final Activities
(transformation) (Implementation)
End
Outcomes
Transfer

39. Transfer of Outputs to Customers
Translation of research into practice, products and technologies
Information dissemination:
Web site
Technical information inquiry services

40. Transfer of Outputs to Customers
Capacity building through
technical assistance
Health hazard evaluation program
Fatality investigation programs
Firefighters
Other targeted groups
training and education
Educational Research Centers
Training project grants

41. Many Partners (for example)
American Society of Safety Engineers
Center to Protect Workers’ Rights
American Industrial Hygiene Association
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
World Health Organization
Pan American Health Organization

42. Intermediate and Final Activities
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Intermediate and Final Activities
Intermediate Activities  Outputs  Final Customers
(transformation) (Implementation)
End
Outcomes
Transfer

43. The final outcome we all seek is improved workplace health and safety

44. Quantitative Results
“The committee will rate the performance of each program activity on a scale of 1 – 5 for the impact of the program in the workplace and for the success of the program in achieving its goals. For cases where the impact is difficult to measure, the committee may evaluate performance by using existing intermediate outcomes to estimate impact.”

45. Outputs of customers that we define as intermediate outcomes
Regulations
Guidance
Standards
Training and education programs
Pilot technologies

46. NIOSH thoughts on NA review process
Programs, not projects
Importance of quantitative as well as qualitative assessment
Bottom line effectiveness, not just a review of processes

47. NIOSH thoughts on the Framework
Comfortable with the Framework
No Framework can cover the breadth of NIOSH programs; EC may face some challenges
We understand that arriving at a simple number rating is a difficult task, we also understand that some will place great importance in that number, we appreciate your efforts
Keep in mind that NIOSH’s ultimate goals is to do “better” work, therefore your advice is welcome