AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING

Program Goals

A key leadership role for the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Program is the development of goals for the sector. The Program is in the process of developing goals to guide NIOSH research and partnership efforts over the next decade. 

NIOSH Program Portfolio Approach

NIOSH organizes its research, guidance, information, and service efforts into specific programs that can be readily communicated and strategically governed and evaluated. Ten sector programs represent industrial sectors, and seven cross-sector Programs are organized around health and safety outcomes. There are also numerous core and specialty programs that represent special emphasis areas, methodological approaches, core activities and legislatively mandated programs.

The sector programs intersect with cross-sector programs in a matrix-like fashion, with relevant core and specialty programs playing a supporting role. For example, an Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program goal of reducing farm-related deaths and injuries due to tractor rollovers and trucks would likely be a shared goal with the Traumatic Injury Prevention Program and if appropriate would be adopted by both programs. This approach provides an added advantage and will allow multiple Programs to work towards accomplishment of intersecting NIOSH goals.

Below are the current goals for the Nation developed during the second decade of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

AgFF Program Strategic Goals for Intramural Research

Strategic Goal 2: Reduce deleterious health and safety outcomes in workers more susceptible to injury or illness due to circumstances limiting options for safeguarding their own safety and health.

Strategic Goal 3: Move proven health and safety strategies into agricultural, forestry and fishing workplaces through the development of partnerships and collaborative efforts.

Strategic Goal 5: Improve the health and well-being of agricultural workers by reducing occupational causes or contributing factors to acute and chronic illness and disease.

Strategic Goal 8: Reduce the number, rate and severity of traumatic injuries (including deaths) involving hazards of commercial fishing

Strategic Goal 9: To improve the health of commercial fishermen by reducing occupational causes or contributing factors to illness and disease

AgFF Program Priority Strategic Goals for NIOSH-funded Extramural Research

The NIOSH AgFF Program selected the following strategic goals as particularly suited for extramural research during fiscal year 2017:

Strategic Goal 1: Maximize existing surveillance resources in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector to describe: the nature, extent, and economic burden of occupational illnesses, injuries, and fatalities; occupational hazards; and worker populations at risk for adverse health outcomes.

Strategic Goal 2: Reduce deleterious health and safety outcomes in workers more susceptible to injury or illness due to circumstances limiting options for safeguarding their own safety and health.

Strategic Goal 3: Move proven health and safety strategies into agricultural, forestry and fishing workplaces through the development of partnerships and collaborative efforts.

Strategic Goal 4: Reduce the number, rate and severity of traumatic injuries and deaths involving hazards of production agriculture and support activities.

Strategic Goal 5: Improve the health and well-being of agricultural workers by reducing occupational causes or contributing factors to acute and chronic illness and disease.

Strategic Goal 6: Reduce the number, rate and severity of traumatic injuries and deaths involving hazards of forestry.

Strategic Goal 9: To improve the health of commercial fishermen by reducing occupational causes or contributing factors to illness and disease.

Those seeking NIOSH grants to conduct studies related to the AgFF Program are invited to view the current funding opportunities