National Occupational Research Agenda

The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) was developed by NIOSH and the occupational safety and health community to provide a framework to guide occupational safety and health research in the coming decade. The Agenda identified 21 research priorities. These priorities were grouped into three categories: disease and injury, work environment and workforce, and research tools and approaches. Under the heading of disease and injury, specific areas included allergic and irritant dermatitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fertility and pregnancy abnormalities, hearing loss, infectious diseases, low back disorders, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities, and traumatic injuries. In the area of work environment and workforce, areas addressed included emerging technologies, indoor environment, mixed exposure, organization of work, and special populations at risk. In the area of research tools and approaches the topics included cancer research methods, control technology and personal protective equipment, exposure assessment methods, health services research, intervention effectiveness research, risk assessment methods, social and economic consequences of workplace illness and injury, and surveillance research methods.

National Occupational Research Agenda