Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations

Mission Statement

The Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations (OEREP) directs the scientific review process for grants and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts, manages Agency research training programs, evaluates the scientific contribution of proposed and ongoing research, demonstrations, and evaluations, and supports and conducts health services research on priority populations. Specifically, OEREP:

1. Directs the process for selecting, reviewing, and funding grants and reviewing SBIR contracts for scientific merit and program relevance.
2. Assigns grant applications to Centers and Offices for administrative action.
3. Manages the process for making funding decisions for grants.
4. Directs Agency research training and career development programs and implementation of the National Research Service Award authority.
5. Manages the committee management and scientific integrity processes for the intramural and extramural programs of the Agency.
6. Develops and coordinates clearance of peer review regulations, as required, policy notices and program announcements.
7. Facilitates Agency-wide communication and coordination regarding extramural policy, planning, and analysis.
8. Represents the Agency in meetings with experts and organizations on issues related to the administration of the Agency's scientific programs.
9. Advises the Agency leadership on matters pertaining to the health needs and health care of priority populations, including scientific, ethical, legal, and policy issues.
10. Prepares the agenda for priority populations research—both extramural and intramural—through the Agency's strategic planning process, needs assessments, and user input.
11. Serves as an expert resource within the Agency on priority populations to assist program development and participates in the development of policies and programs to implement the Agency's priority populations agenda.
12. Fosters new knowledge, tool, talent, and strategy development related to priority populations by recommending, leading, coordinating and conducting new initiatives, including intramural initiatives.
13. Works in partnership with other Centers and Offices to design and implement efforts to translate, disseminate, and implement evidence-based initiatives and programs to improve health care for priority populations.
14. Evaluates the degree to which the Agency is meeting its goals for priority populations;
15. Provides national expertise to Agency staff and Agency partners on priority populations issues, establishing and maintaining liaison with other knowledgeable or concerned agencies, governments and organizations.
16. Establishes new contacts and cultivates present ones with external groups to:
    1. Spur increased awareness and emphasis on priority populations within the health services research, health care policy, and health care delivery communities.
    2. Partner with organizations and agencies to expand research on priority populations, thereby securing additional resources for these activities.
    3. Build research and implementation capacity on priority populations.
17. Enhances the visibility of the Agency in priority populations through frequent presence and delivery of speeches and scientific presentations at meetings of relevance to the field and to AHRQ's mission.

Current as of March 2008

Internet Citation:

Mission Statement: Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations. March 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. htp://www.ahrq.gov/about/oerep/oerepmiss.htm