Grand challenges for human factors and ergonomics

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science

Volume

26

Issue

4

DOI

10.1080/1463922X.2024.2431336

First Page

361

Last Page

456

Abstract

Contemporary society faces a growing set of complex global issues representing significant human health, well-being, and sustainability threats. Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) has a critical role to play in responding to these issues; however, there remain a set of grand challenges that require resolution. This paper presents and discusses six grand challenges for HFE and related key research thrust areas for each of the challenges. The grand challenges are (1) Evolution in Societal Thinking; (2) Future of Human Work in Industry 5.0; (3) Climate Change and Sustainability; (4) Future of Education and Training; (5) Future of Personalized Health, and (6) Life, Technology, and the Metaverse. These grand challenges and key research thrust areas were derived by twenty HFE professionals who are the authors of this paper. The implications of these grand challenges for education, training, research, and implementation of HFE principles and methods for the benefit of humankind are discussed.

Keywords

climate, education, health, metaverse, Society, technology

Department

Industrial and Systems Engineering

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