Public Policy Matters

The field of human factors/​ergonomics (HF/E) generates and applies knowledge of human characteristics for the design of safer, more effective, and more efficient systems. The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's mission is to promote these goals, and foremost among its activities is its support of communication within and beyond the field (via journals, newsletters and Web sites, technical groups, press releases, and other customary vehicles).


For most of its history, the field's impact on design was achieved primarily through either the direct participation of HF/E professionals in the design process or the management thereof. In recent years, however, HF/E professionals and HFES have become more active at the public policy level, recognizing that decisions in that arena have a wide-ranging impact on everything from the nation's investment in HF/E research to the practices adopted by entire industries.


In 2004, at the request of the HFES Executive Council, the Government Relations Committee (GRC) was established to provide added impetus and structure to the Society's public policy activities. Since that time, a number of GRC initiatives aimed at informing and involving the HFES membership have been attempted. The most successful to date has been the publication of noteworthy policy developments and related HFES activities under the "Public Policy Matters" banner as a regular feature in the HFES Bulletin. To communicate time-sensitive announcements and reports between Bulletin issues, the GRC created this section of the HFES Web site.


Lewis-Burke has developed a Guide to Federal Outreach & Advocacy for use by HFES members. It includes instructions on how to identify your member of Congress, methods for interacting with policy makers, and procedures for developing an effective message, among other topics.


For information on social science programs available across the federal government, please refer to Lewis-Burke's Overview of Federal Funding Opportunities for Behavioral and Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.


To illustrate topics of the sort you are likely to see posted here in the future, a list of announcements relating to public policy, as well as a list of HFES Bulletin titles published since 2004, are provided below.

Current Year's Articles

Previous Years' Articles

2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004



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