Forget evidence: the demise of research involvement by the NOHSC since 1996.

Since 1996 there has been a substantial and sustained decline in research activity undertaken directly or indirectly (through grant funding) by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC). This decline has now reached a point where it is arguable whether, with some minor exceptions, the agency has any capacity to undertake meaningful research left. After describing NOHSC’s earlier role in undertaking and promoting research the paper traces the decline of research activity after 1995 and tries to identify some of the implications of this for OHS research more generally. It is argued that there continues to be a pressing need for NOHSC to take a strong leadership role in research and, given this, a strategy for achieving this end is presented.