About
The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices. Councils help to improve workplaces by disseminating evidence-based practices.
What we do
NORA is a partnership program between NIOSH and occupational safety and health working partners. NORA works to facilitate innovative research and improve workplace practices.
Unveiled in 1996, NORA entered its third decade (2016–2026) with an enhanced structure of 17 sectors and cross-sectors. There are 10 industry sectors based on major areas of the U.S. economy. There are also seven health and safety cross-sectors for the major health and safety issues affecting U.S. workers.
The national occupational research agenda is developed and implemented through the NORA Sector and Cross-Sector Councils. Each council develops and maintains an agenda for its sector or cross-sector. Each agenda sets priorities for research to improve occupational safety and health.
Why it's important
To create agendas, diverse parties come together in councils and identify critical issues in workplace safety and health. Partners then develop broad strategic objectives for research to address those needs. The following types of information help inform NORA's priority setting process:
- The numbers of workers at risk for a particular injury or illness
- The seriousness of the hazard or issue
- The probability that new information and approaches will make a difference
Once agendas are in place, councils work on those areas through information sharing, partnerships, and enhancing dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices.
As the steward of NORA, NIOSH supports this effort in two main ways. First, NIOSH sector/cross-sector program leaders co-chair the NORA Councils. Second, NIOSH uses the national agenda as a critical input into its own strategic planning process.
Contact Us
Use the form below to email the NORA coordinator to get more information or to volunteer for a council.