Committee on Human Factors

Subject/Focus Area: Behavioral & Social Sciences; Policy & Research

Committee Director: Dr. Christine R. Hartel

Project Scope

The Committee on Human Factors was organized as a standing committee by the National Research Council in 1980 at the request of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Today, the committee's activities have expanded to include nonmilitary human factors problems as well. The activities of the committee encompass new
perspectives on theoretical and methodological issues concerning the relationship of individuals and organizations to technology and the environment; critical issues in the design, testing, evaluation, and use of new human-centered technologies; issues of technology design for diverse populations, from the disabled to the elderly, in both workplace and leisure applications; and research needed to expand the scientific and technical bases
for designing technology to support the needs of its users. Specific committee activities include:

--Providing a formal and regular forum for sponsors to talk with each other and with a knowledgeable body of experts--an objective and neutral sounding board for the sponsors.

--Giving sustained attention to the existing science base and the accumulation of knowledge and experience with human factors and related disciplines.

--Placing the scientific knowledge concerning human factors in a public policy framework to make it accessible to the policy community.

--Assisting sponsors in developing their research agendas by identifying technical questions that need attention, new research approaches that are promising, and opportunities for technology transfer between agencies and programs.

--Conducting public conferences and workshops with presentations by noted experts to raise awareness and identify critical technical and policy issues in the area of human factors.

--Selecting topics of current concern that warrant in-depth study by a panel of experts, separately contracted, that operates under the oversight of the Committee on Human Factors. This activity may involve the development of pertinent study proposals.

The activities posted in this project record relate to the standing committee acting in its planning, program development, and project oversight roles. This project record is a continuation of that under Project Identification Number BCSS-I-02-90-B. The standing committee itself does not produce any reports. Projects undertaken under the auspices and oversight of this standing committee and resulting in reports of the institution are posted in separate project records in the Current Projects System.

The standing committee is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army, the U.S. Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Department of the Navy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Committee Membership

Meetings

For questions pertaining to the standing board, past meetings, committee membership or committee history, please contact Matt McDonough at mmcdonough@nas.edu