NIOSH Program Portfolio

Traumatic Injury

Inputs: NIOSH Strategic Goals

Traumatic occupational injury research at NIOSH is conducted within a public health framework. In the injury research strategy developed by the interdisciplinary NORA Traumatic Injury Team, the authors write the following:

Toward the goal of setting priorities, developing collaborative efforts, and developing new research methodologies, the many scientific disciplines will apply different models to occupational injury research (e.g., the public health model, the risk management model, the safety sciences model). All of these are variations of the scientific model—an objective, problem-solving process. For this paper, the public health model is used as a framework to discuss occupational injury research and prevention. The elements of this model include the following:

• Identify and prioritize problems (Injury Surveillance)
• Quantify and prioritize risk factors (Analytic Injury Research)
• Identify existing or develop new strategies to prevent occupational injuries (Prevention and Control)
• Implement the most effective injury control measures (Communication/Dissemination/ Technology Transfer)
• Monitor the results of intervention efforts (Evaluation)

The process is an iterative one requiring continuous monitoring to ensure that strategies implemented actually reduce or eliminate the exposure or outcome as the intervention progresses and do not create unacceptable new risks. There are specific traumatic occupational injury research needs within each of these phases of the public health model.

(From the NORA strategy document Traumatic Occupational Injuries: Research Needs and Priorities – DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 98-134)

Links:

• The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)
• The NORA Traumatic Injury Page
• Traumatic Occupational Injuries: Research Needs and Priorities
  (DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 98-134, NORA Strategy Document)
• National Occupational Injury Research Symposia (NOIRS) in 1997, 2000, and 2003
• NORA Symposium 2006
• NIOSH Research Grants

NIOSH Program Portfolio Approach

NIOSH has been organizing research, guidance, information, and service efforts into specific programs that can be readily communicated and strategically governed and evaluated. There are eight NORA Sector Programs representing industrial sectors, and 24 Cross-sector Programs organized around adverse health outcomes, statutory programs and global efforts.

The NORA Sector Programs intersect with Cross-Sector Programs in a matrix-like fashion. For example, a Traumatic Injury Cross-Sector Program goal of reducing worker deaths and injuries due to motor vehicle crashes would likely be a shared goal with the Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Program and if appropriate would be adopted by both programs. This approach provides an added advantage and will allow multiple Programs to work towards accomplishing intersecting goals.

Each of the 32 programs in the NIOSH Program Portfolio has a Manager and Coordinator. Each of the 8 NORA Sector Programs will have a research council to engage external stakeholders in the process of developing sector program goals and methods to measure the short-term, intermediate and long-term outcomes arising from those goals. Each Cross-Sector Program will have a steering committee, which will also develop program goals and monitor outcome measures.

These planning efforts will position NIOSH to align with the most current governmental approaches for evaluating program effectiveness, i.e., the Program Assessment Rating Tool, which is a mechanism to hold governmental agencies accountable for accomplishing results. As part of our comprehensive approach to performance measurement, NIOSH has engaged the National Academies to independently evaluate our sector and cross-programs for relevance and impact.

Draft Traumatic Injury Program Goals

NIOSH is in the process of drafting strategic goals for the Traumatic Injury Cross Sector Program. As required by the Office of Management and Budget, these strategic goals will be organized by outcomes such as injuries and illnesses instead of more general topic areas such as reducing all occupational mortality in the transportation industry.

When draft goals for the NIOSH Traumatic Injury Cross Sector Program are completed, they will be posted here for review and comment. We will also use the NIOSH eNews to announce that draft goals are available for review.

NIOSH is interested in your opinions about the relevance and value of strategic goals for the NIOSH Traumatic Injury Cross Sector Program. We encourage you to consider partnering with us on issues of interest to you and your organization.

NIOSH Program Portfolio:

Traumatic Injury

Program Description
Inputs
• Occupational Risks
• National Research Agenda (NORA)
• NIOSH Strategic Goals
• Emerging Issues
• Partners
• NIOSH Contacts
Activities
• NIOSH Research Projects
• NIOSH Funded Research Grants
Outputs
• Topic Pages and
  Publications
• Research to Practice
• Conferences
Outcomes
Review & Evaluation
• Program Review
• National Academies Evaluation