Science Policy Fellows Advocate for Human Factors Priorities on Capitol Hill
by Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC
Recently, six members of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), including the 2024/5 Science Policy Fellows (SPF), convened in Washington, D.C. to promote federal support for human factors science on Capitol Hill. The Fellows met with over a dozen congressional offices in both the House of Representatives and Senate to advocate for the importance of continued federal investments in health research and emerging technologies, as well as key human factors standards.
As part of their visit, the Fellows held a meeting with Craig Gravitz, Director of the Project Accelerator Transition Innovation Office at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). He outlined how the agency is integrating Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and discussed the value of embedding human-centered design into the research apparatus. He expressed interest in reviewing the Human Readiness Levels (HRLs) framework and potentially aligning it with ARPA-H’s programmatic priorities.
The SPF team was divided into two groups to cover a range of policy areas. The first group met with congressional staff overseeing ARPA-H, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). These meetings highlighted the ripple effects of recent funding cuts and staff layoffs at NIOSH and AHRQ. Fellows shared firsthand insights into how these disruptions are harming federal research and diminishing the capacity of U.S. public health system.
The second group engaged with offices from the Senate Commerce and Armed Services Committees, along with House Members focused on science, technology, transportation, and defense. Discussions focused on the need to implement human factors-informed guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) systems, including safety and transparency standards. Fellows also emphasized the importance of designing
autonomous vehicle (AV) policies that incorporate usability, human-machine interaction, and error mitigation strategies. In addition, the group advocated broadly for the importance of science and technology funding across the Federal government to support innovation and our future workforce.
The Fellows also advocated for the establishment of a Human Factors professional job category at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This designation would help federal agencies better identify, hire, and retain human factors professionals, especially in fields such as cyber, critical infrastructure, and defense innovation.
By engaging with key decision-makers and providing concrete policy recommendations, the Fellows positioned HFES as a key voice in ongoing efforts to modernize government capabilities while improving safety and usability outcomes.