Human Capital

Recruitment and Selection:

• How can a comprehensive pre-employment screening process (e.g. review of credentials, assessment of cognitive skills, classification of personality types and leadership styles, and/or review of prior experience) be incorporated into the information used during the recruitment and selection process?
• What are the best practices for successful early engagement in the aviation field within the K-12 educational system (e.g., formal and informal STEM programming, Junior ROTC Program, internships, mentoring, etc.)?

Hiring:

• How can performance assessment results of FAA internship candidates be tracked and incorporated (e.g., prior learning and/or experience credit) into the information used during the hiring and onboarding process?
• How do you create and implement an adaptive training model aligned with pre-screening findings identified in the hiring process to address the specific skill development needs of each employee?
• How can prior learning credits be used to expedite the time to certification of aviation professionals transitioning from the military to the FAA?

Retention:

• What are the retention rates associated with current candidate selection processes, on-boarding techniques, and other training approaches?
• What is the impact on retention if training candidates are pre-assigned to trainers of same or similar learning styles and personality types?
• What is the impact on retention if aviation professionals participate in cohort learning organized around same or similar learning styles and skill levels?

Performance:

To what extent can personal background, prior professional experience, and prior training and qualifications predict and/or explain initial training performance and early on-the-job performance?

Knowledge Management:

• How can the FAA implement a knowledge management plan to capture the performance trends and experience lessons of professionals prior to retirement?
• What is the best strategy for translating the high performance strategies of expert professionals to content and process updates within the experiential training environment?

Change Management:

• What are the best change management process recommendations for significantly improving the acceptability and support of training administrators and trainers in the use of technology and innovative training practices for next generation aviation professionals?

Organizational Culture:

• How do you improve the intergenerational culture and communication preferences of a diverse trainer/trainee learning environment and maintain training quality?
• What are the advantages of emphasizing measures of success rather than measures of failure in the training feedback model?
• How do you transform the training feedback model from an emphasis on measures of failure to an emphasis on measures of success?
• How do you provide early positive exposure and integration into the FAA’s organizational culture within a privatized training environment?

Management and Systems:

• What solutions can be implemented to assist the FAA in reaching its desired state for the Enterprise Learning model?
• What is the infrastructure capacity by facility and across facilities for the accommodation and successful implementation of the deployment of new training technologies?
• What is the staffing capacity by facility and across facilities for the accommodation and successful implementation of the deployment of new training technologies?
• Are existing FAA systems (e.g., CEDAR, FALCON, TSS) being utilized to the fullest extent of their capabilities? If not, what are the impediments or constraints to full and effective utilization?
• What reengineering is required to continue utilizing existing FAA systems (e.g., CEDAR, FALCON, TSS) for emerging needs?
• What are the best practices for archiving training content (e.g., catalogs, manuals, courses, materials)?
• What best practices exist for tracking the lifecycle of employee learning (e.g., from recruitment to retirement, initial training, advanced training, remedial training, refresher training)?
• How can data from the effective tracking of the lifecycle of employee learning be used to improve training and learning?
• How can a tracking system of new and/or evolving technologies help determine the priority of selection for implementation within the training environment?

Instructional Design and Training Delivery

Design and Development:

• What is the feasibility of applying the agile model to the instructional design of aviation courses across professions?
• How can current training be redesigned and enhanced by incorporating adaptive instruction?
• How can current training be redesigned to incorporate future competencies needed for NextGen?

Delivery and Outcomes:

• What are the best practices for increasing the readiness of the training organization to deliver training across multiple modalities (e.g., mobile apps, e-learning platforms, simulations)?
• What is the impact on training outcomes per modality when content is delivered via multiple modalities (e.g., mobile apps, e-learning platforms, simulations)?
• Does the sequencing of modality training improve training outcomes?
• Are certain modalities more appropriate for initial training versus recurrent or refresher training?
• Which courses or topics are most cost-effectively delivered in-person?
• Which courses or topics are most cost-effectively delivered virtually?
• What impact does facility location and/or facility type have on the performance of training candidates (e.g., time to certification, safety of the NAS, etc.)?
• What is the impact on training outcomes if aviation professionals participate in an initial training program with curricula drawn from professions with same or similar competencies?
• What is the impact on training outcomes if aviation professionals participate in competency and facility-based advanced training?
• What is the impact on training outcomes if aviation professionals increase participation in just-in- time (micro learning) training?
• What is the impact on training outcomes if aviation professionals participate in cohort learning within same or similar skill levels?

Standardization:

• How can core and/or basic skills be introduced consistently throughout the training continuum (e.g. K-12 to vocational to 2-year or 4-year degree to placement within an aviation career)?
• What are the best practices for standardization of core competency training?
• What is the feasibility of standardizing training of core competencies within specialized training areas (e.g., En Route, Tower, TRACON)?
• What are the best practices for standardization of training evaluation procedures across facilities?
• How can best practices from the DoD training organization be incorporated in the instructional design and training delivery efforts of FAA training organizations?

Technology

Evaluation and Implementation:

• What are best practices for identification and prototyping of new training technologies?
• What is the interoperability between varying learning technologies for the same area, topic, and/or course?
• How do we incorporate a cost/benefit life cycle analysis into the identification and selection of new technologies (e.g., long-term maintenance costs, training costs, etc.)?
• What technology is best suited for performance support systems vs. training applications?
• What are best practices for using technology to connect elements of training (e.g., blended learning)?
• How can you create the appropriate level of fidelity for each advanced training technology to ensure effective transfer of learning for each professional area?
• What are the technological advances in hazardous weather information dissemination across professions?
• How can advances in training technology assist with measuring and tracking certification of performance?
• How effectively do advanced technologies help overcome physical constraints on human performance that have historically led to the disqualification of otherwise trainable candidates (e.g., color blindness, prosthetics, etc.?)
• What are the lessons learned from incorporating new and/or evolving technologies across agencies
  (e.g. FAA, DoD, NASA)?

Mobile Applications:

• How can just-in-time (micro learning) training for remedial or refresher curricula be delivered via mobile applications?
• How can just-in-time (micro learning) training for facility specific curricula be delivered via mobile applications?

Artificial Intelligence:

• How can artificial intelligence support adaptive learning within the simulation environment (e.g. scenarios based on high traffic, hazardous conditions, etc.)?
• How can artificial intelligence reduce deviations from standard operating procedures?
• How can artificial intelligence be used within e-learning modules to enhance soft skills and/or leadership training of aviation professionals (e.g., stress management, change management, accountability, etc.)?

Augmented and Virtual Reality Simulation:

• What are the benefits of utilizing augmented reality and/or virtual reality as a learning tool?
• Can augmented reality and/or virtual reality be used to improve remedial or refresher training?
• How does utilizing augmented reality and/or virtual reality in remedial or refresher training impact intergenerational learners?
• What specific training areas or topics are ideal for utilizing virtual reality technology vs. full simulation technology in an effort to decrease training costs while maintaining training outcomes?
• How can just-in-time (micro learning) training for remedial or refresher curricula be delivered via augmented or virtual reality simulation?
• How can just-in-time (micro learning) training for facility specific curricula be delivered via augmented or virtual reality simulation?
• How can virtual reality training applications increase the readiness of training candidates for hazardous airport environments (e.g., mountainous terrain; hazardous weather – ice, snow, tornadoes, hurricanes; and wildlife hazards)?
• How can successful implementation of augmented or virtual reality learning tools be applied from one aviation sector to another (e.g. technicians to safety inspectors, etc.)?

Gamification:

• What is the appropriate level of application of gamification within the training environment across aviation professions?
• What are best practices for implementing game mechanics into the training environment?

Unmanned Aerial Systems:

• What is an adequate level of exposure to sUAS training curricula to ensure the safety of the NAS
  by aviation profession?
• How can sUAS be utilized to supplement live instruction within the training environment (e.g., aircraft inspection)?
• How can sUAS assist with hazardous weather or hazardous terrain training to improve data collection and communications across aviation professions?

International Harmonization

• What are the best practices for finding a common nomenclature for training in areas across the field of aviation?
• How can we maintain respect for local and national customs and practices while effectively harmonizing essential operational practices?
• How is the status of collaboration and coordination among international aviation organizations contributing to the reduction of safety risks?

Perception:

• What are the appropriate auditory and visual evaluation standards across the different generations of workers?
• What should be the perception standards for waivers to work beyond current age limits?
• What are the impacts of various work schedules (day/night, rotating, and 2-2-1) on auditory and visual perception?
• How does work schedule affect perception across different aviation job areas, such as pilots, controllers, and maintainers?
• How can technology, such as eye movement tracking, help us better understand differences in visual perception within and across different aviation job areas?
• How can eye movement tracking help us better understanding learning and identify appropriate techniques and strategies for training?
• How might technologies be used to mitigate or overcome the impact of various disqualifying physical disabilities such as colorblindness and the use of prosthetics?
• What lessons can be learned through the evaluation of the visual, auditory, and cognitive patterns of high performing professionals? How can these lessons (learned from the observation of high performers) be applied to improve training techniques and strategies?

Cognition:

• What can be learned from conducting cognitive impact analysis of workers approaching mandatory retirement age?
• What are the cognitive evaluation standards for aviation workers in other countries with higher mandatory age limits?
• Are there generational or other differences among individuals that influence their capacity to process information simultaneously from competing sources?
• Can human errors of perception and cognition be identified and tracked in the simulated training environment to provide data for analysis of errors and development of new training approaches?
• What is the impact of cultural or generational difference on the use of technology in the processing of information and decision making?

Workload, Fatigue, and Stress:

• What is the impact of new technologies on more experienced aviation professionals who have mastered their craft without the use of these technologies?
• How can fatigue be studied and mitigated in a non-punitive way?
• What are the best practices for staffing models that provide appropriate levels of staff while mitigating the adverse impacts of fatigue and stress?
• What stimulants (light, temperature, humidity, etc.) or other mitigating techniques can be used to safely overcome fatigue?
• How does the use of artificial intelligence and automation influence the impact of fatigue, stress, and distraction on decision making in the ATC and flight environments?
• Can biometric scanning be used to recognize fatigue?
• Could the implementation of a Human Factors Analysis Classification System (HFACS) to better identify and understand human errors as a function of the organization’s structure lead to increased safety and less stress on individuals?
• What are the costs to the individual and the organization in terms of safety and performance when risks are not mitigated and human errors occur?
• What are the best practices for training frontline managers to recognize the indicators of fatigue, distraction, and excessive stress?
• How might technologies (EEG, brain wave monitoring, eye movement tracking, and blood pressure monitoring) be used to track indicators of fatigue and stress in real time?
• What impact can artificial intelligence and automation have on the reduction of stress in the aviation working environment?
• How does the use of artificial intelligence and automation influence the impact of fatigue, stress, and distraction on decision making in the ATC and flight environments?
• How does ergonomics in the current and proposed work environments (physical and virtual) adversely or positively impact stress and fatigue for aviation professionals? Is it possible in the training environment to genuinely replicate through simulation the levels of risk and stress encountered in the real world air traffic control environment?

Skill Acquisition and Retention:

• To what extent do former aviation workers suffer from a disqualifying medical event or condition within 5 years of mandatory retirement? In other words, to what extent does the retiring workforce stay healthy beyond the mandatory age limit?
• How do aviation professionals manage the physical demands of their work as they age?
• Does the use of risk assessment tools  such as the IAMSAFE  checklist improve  safety and performance by providing the individual with live feedback and awareness of job readiness?
• What are the best ways to train aviation professionals in the area of crew resource management?
• What is the best way to integrate the technological tracking of human factors in the simulated training environment?
• How might the data gathered through the tracking of human factors in the training environment be used to improve training and performance?
• What can be learned from other industries about the intended and unintended consequences of technology implementation similar to what is being proposed in aviation (e.g. NextGen and Trajectory Based Operations)?
• Would a more realistic level of risk and stress in the simulated training environment effective accelerate training, increase skill acquisition, and reduce time to certification?
• What are the best practices for introducing human factors curriculum and content into current training?
• How do reward systems such as badges in the gaming environment influence learner motivation and learning outcomes?

Situation Awareness:

• How might virtual and augmented reality be used to improve air traffic awareness for tower and ground controllers and operators?
• What are the best practices for implementing data link technologies for improving air traffic control to flight crew communications?
• How might sensing technology be employed to improve detection and reduce the probability of collisions and incursions on the airfield?

Hazardous Conditions:

• What are the most effective ways to communicating new or changing information about hazards, especially in-flight hazards?
• What are  the  most  appropriate  and  promising research  methods  and strategies for improving weather hazard awareness?
• What are the best practices for communicating hazardous conditions to airport users?

Cyber-security:

• How might a reliance on digital systems and automation put the air traffic system be put at risk for cyber attack?
• What might be some of the methods and strategies to mitigate risks to cyber security?
• How should training curricula incorporate the topic of cyber security?

New Technologies in the NAS (NextGen, UAS, etc.):

• What safety issues have emerged or will arise from the implementation of NextGen technologies and processes?
• Are there any unintended consequences from the implementation of technologies such as ADS-B and TCAS that adversely affect pilot decision making, communications, and safety?
• Has the integration of ADS-B equipped aircraft into the NAS had an impact on workload, decision- making, and safety?
• How can UAS be safely and effectively integrated into the NAS?
• Who are the relevant stakeholders and how are they best engaged in the process of safely and effectively integrating them and their UAS operations into the NAS?
• What technologies and strategies are best suited for the improvement of sensor-based avoidance for UAS?

Safety Management Systems:

• What are the best practices for Safety Management Systems and how might they be adapted and applied to the variety of operators functioning in the aviation system?
• How might trend analysis be used to improve SMS?
• Do SMS self-reporting mechanisms work effectively to mitigate risks and improve safety?
• What are the best practices for employee self-reporting systems?
• What improvements can be made in the collection, management, and analysis of self-reporting data to enable managers to reach safety goals?
• How does  an  employee’s  interpretation  and  understanding  of  safety  culture  correlate  with acceptance of new procedures, training methods, and processes designed to improve safety?
• What are the best methods for measuring and establishing a baseline for safety culture?
• What are the best practices for sustaining a robust safety culture while continuing to introduce new training innovations and technologies?

Safety Education:

• How might predictive modeling inform education and training initiatives to proactively avoid problems by adapting and implementing best practices in training?
• What is the relationship between safety and human performance? In other words, does an emphasis on safety improve or diminish human performance, and if so how and to what extent?  Just as important, in which job functions or operational tasks is this a greater challenge?
• What technologies and strategies are best suited for the improvement of sensor-based avoidance for UAS?