Review of Outreach Activities: Knowledge Diffusion and Technology Transfer - Agriculture Forestry and Fishing Research at NIOSH - page 123

Evaluation of the ROPS design for pre-ROPS tractors (page 109 of Appen-
dix 2-10 in NIOSH, 2006a) indicated that all stages of activity—including design,
testing, and selling commercially—were accomplished for Ford and selected other
small tractors. Commercial tests before sales are still under way for John Deere and
Allis Chalmers models.
National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
The National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety
( http://research.marshieldclinic.org/children/ )—located at the National Farm Medi-
cine Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin—strives to enhance the health and safety of
all children exposed to hazards associated with agricultural work and rural environ-
ments. The center is a model for inputs and priority identification and funding.
It developed a newsletter, the NAGCAT, networks of advocates, and workshops,
and it incorporated a small grant model to move research results to educational
programs and practices. An important element in the National Children's Center
program is evaluation of dissemination processes.
Deep-South Center for Agricultural Disease and
Injury Research, Education, and Prevention
The Deep-South Center for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Educa-
tion, and Prevention—located at the University of South Florida in Tampa—served
the target populations of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. The Deep-South Cen-
ter focused research on safety and health problems of special agricultural popula-
tions in the region including minority, migrant, and low-income farmers and farm
workers. Its activities included the design of educational and health promotion
interventions for farmers and farm workers; archive of educational and disease
prevention/health promotion materials designed for use by agricultural safety and
health specialists, clinicians, and health educators; design of models for use of rural
public health and clinical nurses when engaged in problem identification and de-
livery of interventions; and design of aids to assist in hand-arm movement during
planting, weeding, or harvesting. Funding for the center ended in 2001.
Assessment of Comparative Strengths and
Weaknesses of the NIOSH Ag Centers
NEC provided a thoughtful assessment of the diverse approaches to knowl-
edge diffusion and transfer (page 160 of Appendix 2-10 in NIOSH, 2006a). First,
enforcement is difficult to accomplish. Second, engineering may be a preferred