Selecting and Evaluating Case Studies of the Economic Benefits of Research and Services at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Case Studies on Personal Dust Monitors for Coal Miners, Improved Ambulance Design, and Amputation Surveillance

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Miller, Benjamin M.

Contributor:

Lastunen, Jesse

Metz, David

Smith, Troy D.

Language:

English

Other Title:

Selecting and Evaluating Case Studies of the Economic Benefits of Research and Services at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, Calif. RAND Corporation 2020

Summary:

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) helps ensure U.S. workers operate in safe and healthful working conditions by funding related efforts by external researchers; developing and testing engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and other technologies; and providing educational information, guidance, and training, as well as other services. NIOSH must prioritize its investments in workplace safety and health to make the best use of available funding and must also demonstrate the value of that funding. However, there are a number of challenges in understanding the benefits associated with this or any agency's research activities. In an earlier study, RAND researchers developed an approach for estimating these benefits and demonstrated the approach using three case studies. NIOSH then asked RAND to further build upon that work by developing a process for selecting case studies for evaluation, applying that selection process to a list of ten potential case studies, and selecting three case studies from this list for detailed analysis. In this report, the authors define and document a process for selecting case studies of the economic benefits of research and services at NIOSH and evaluate benefits associated with three selected cases. Together, this body of research helps build a foundation for evaluating the broader societal benefits provided by NIOSH, both by providing quantitative estimates of the benefits associated with specific NIOSH activities and by providing NIOSH with methods and examples for consistently evaluating the societal impact of its own work.