Framework for the Review of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Agriculture Forestry and Fishing Research at NIOSH - page 257

of leading indicators from appropriate federal agency sources, such as the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency, the Department of Labor, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of
Defense, and the Department of Commerce. Those indicators should track new
technologies, products, and processes and disease or injury trends.
One source of inputs deserving particular attention is the NIOSH HHE re-
ports. NIOSH's HHE program is a separate legislatively mandated program that
offers a potential mechanism to identify emerging research needs that could be
incorporated as an input in each of the programs evaluated. The ECs should con-
sider whether appropriate consideration has been given to findings from the HHE
investigations as they are related to the research program under review.
Some additional indicators might include NIOSH and the NIOSH-funded
FACE, the AOEC reports, the US Chemical Safety Board investigations, SENSOR
and other state-based surveillance programs, and others. In addition, appropriate
federal advisory committees and other stakeholder groups should be consulted to
provide qualitative information.
The EC members should use their expert judgment both to evaluate what
NIOSH has identified as emerging research targets (charge 2) and to respond to
charge 3 by providing recommendations to NIOSH for additional research that
NIOSH has not yet identified. An EC's response to charge 3 will consist primarily
of recommendations for research in subjects that the EC considers important and
of the committee's rationale.

Questions to Guide the Evaluation Committee
1.

What information does NIOSH review to identify emerging research
needs?

a. What is the process for review?

b. How often does the process take place?

c. How are NIOSH staff scientists and NIOSH leadership engaged?

d. What is the process for moving from ideas to formal planning and

resource allocation?

2. How are stakeholders involved?

a. What advisory or stakeholder groups are asked to identify emerg-

ing research targets?

b. How often are such groups consulted, and how are suggestions

followed up?

3. What new research targets have been identified for future development

in the program under evaluation?

a. How were they identified?