Office of Communications and Public Liaison

The Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL) is responsible for communicating information on NIH programs and activities to the public, the media, the scientific and medical communities, and public advocacy groups.

The Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL), located in NIH's Office of the Director is the central office for communications at NIH. We lead the effort to communicate information about NIH programs, issues and accomplishments to the public, the media, public interest groups and the scientific and medical communities. We manage the principal website for NIH and produce a variety of original communication products tailored for different external audiences. We also set communications policies for the NIH and coordinate communications and public liaison activities across the agency. We are responsible for agency-wide internal communication efforts as well, producing both traditional and electronic publications for NIH employees. The office serves as the communications link between the NIH and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, we also coordinate how NIH implements the Freedom of Information Act. The office encourages broad national public participation in NIH activities through the NIH Director's Council of Public Representatives (COPR) and helps to resolve local community concerns through its management of the Office of Community Liaison (OCL).

OCPL Components
Council of Public Representatives (COPR)
Freedom of Information Office (FOI)
Office of Community Liaison (OCL)
Public Information Office (PIO)

• Editorial Operations Branch (EOB)
• News Media Branch (NMB)
• Online Information Branch (OLIB)
• Offices of Public Liaison (OPL)
• Special Projects Branch
• Visitor Information Center (VIC)

Council of Public Representatives (COPR)

The Director's Council of Public Representatives (COPR) is a federal advisory committee made up of members of the public, who advise the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director on issues related to public participation in NIH activities, outreach efforts, and other matters of public interest. NIH selects new COPR members every year, to serve an average of 4-year terms. The COPR is made up of up to 21 people from across the country who have been chosen to represent the public through an open application process (To access the COPR Application please see: http://copr.nih.gov/application.asp). COPR members are patients, family members of patients, educators, professionals working in health and science related careers as well as health and science communicators.

Freedom of Information Office

This office manages the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) at NIH; receives and processes FOIA requests submitted for information within the possession of the NIH; provides FOIA policy guidance, training, and advice to Institutes, Centers, and components of the Office of the Director; responds to selected, highly sensitive FOIA requests; coordinates the response to FOIA requests involving more than one NIH component; issues all denials under the FOIA for NIH; provides the NIH position if FOIA decisions are appealed to the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and helps the public interested in NIH in use of the FOIA. The FOIA office maintains two Reading Rooms, an on-site Reading Room and an Electronic Reading Room.

Office of Community Liaison (OCL)

This office advises the NIH Director on policies, programs, and issues involving the NIH and its community; Plans and directs activities to promote collaboration and cooperation between the NIH and its community; Conducts and oversees studies, projects, and evaluations designed to address problems, questions, and issues of community concern and environmental impact; Ensures that NIH activities that affect the community involve community representation at all levels of design, review, and implementation; and Ensures effective communication and collaboration on policy and programs involving the community between the Office of the Director and operating components of the NIH.

Public Information Office

This office communicates about cross-cutting NIH issues that span multiple disease categories, or involve medical research policy. It manages the central news and media operations for NIH and provides internal and external communications about NIH activities. The office produces and distributes a number of publications that showcase NIH research results; provides print, radio and TV coverage of NIH news and activities, runs the NIH home page, produces the NIH Record; clears NIH publications through DHHS, conducts tours and orientations for visitors to NIH, and organizes special events for NIH, such as building dedications and the annual NIH Research Festival.

 Editorial Operations Branch

This office assists in developing public information policies and programs designed to achieve greater understanding and appreciation of NIH programs and activities by the public, Congress, media (print), and medical professions.

The EOB serves as the coordinating office or central source for NIH Institutes and Centers (IC) in matters related to publications, including printing, DHHS/PHS/NIH clearance and review procedures, Joint Committee on Printing, U.S. Congress, and Government Printing Office printing and binding regulations and copyright rules. Each year, NIH components produce from 350 to 400 or more publications of various types: program reviews, descriptions, and analyses, scientific monographs, journals, and reports, and popular brochures, pamphlets, and leaflets for the public. The Editorial Operations Branch is the principal publications review office for NIH.

 News Media Branch

This office serves as the central news contact for NIH and maintains contact with members of the electronic and print media; prepares and issues feature materials describing NIH programs; produces audio reports of health messages and interviews with NIH scientists for use by radio stations; produces a bi-weekly audio podcast containing that latest news about research supported by NIH; manages press conferences for the Director of NIH and other scientists and officials; keeps the NIH leadership informed about media coverage of NIH issues and programs; and clears news releases and audiovisual productions with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, DHHS before distribution.

 Online Information Branch

The OLIB provides leadership in using computers to support NIH communication goals. The primary focus of the branch is to maintain and enhance the principal NIH Web site (http://www.nih.gov) and our primary source for online consumer health information (http://health.nih.gov.) In addition, the OLIB manages the NIH Web Coordinating Committee which provides leadership for the design and content of the NIH Web site, including reviewing new Web sites before they are integrated into the structure of the NIH home page; works with other relevant offices and committees in establishing operational standards and guidelines for Web sites at NIH; has direct responsibility for several major areas of the NIH home page that address the special needs of health care professionals, patients, members of the press, the public and employees; manages the responses to electronic mail sent to the NIH home page; provides Web support services and guidance to other OD offices including the Director, NIH; conducts special studies on the use of the NIH Web including evaluation projects and manages many of the key areas of the NIH Web site such as: News and Events, About NIH, Health Information, the Director's page and Employee Information.

 Offices of Public Liaison

The NIH is committed to fostering an environment of public participation. In support of that goal, the "Get Involved at NIH" web site provides links to information about NIH's many outreach efforts, including nationwide NIH-sponsored events and activities; new publications and resources for the public; health campaigns; and various avenues for public feedback.

 Special Projects Branch

The NIH Special Projects Branch (SPB), part of the Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL), plans, organizes and presents special public events and functions. By appointment, tours and orientations are available for a wide variety of national and international visitor groups. The branch also operates the NIH Visitor Information Center.

 Visitor Information Center (VIC)

The VIC is located on the NIH campus in the Natcher Conference Center, Building 45, Room 1AS-13. By appointment, tours and special visitor programs can be arranged for a wide variety of national and international visitor groups. An overview of NIH is available on a walk in basis each Tuesday and Thursday. See our web site for tour and overview information.