IBR’s Operational & Fatigue Research Unit (OFR) focuses on taking the knowledge developed with basic laboratory fatigue science and testing it in the “real world” by studying individuals and groups in their natural work and social environments.

The OFR specializes in empirical human factors research relevant to sleep, fatigue, safety, and performance in a wide variety of operational settings, including aviation, trucking, space exploration, military, and shift-work.  Recent major projects include a large-scale Congressionally-mandated field study of aviation cabin crew sponsored by the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute and the SAFR (Scheduling and Fatigue Recovery) project, an international field study of work/rest patterns and performance in long-haul truck drivers jointly sponsored by Transport Canada and the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.