[Federal Register: November 24, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 227)]
[Notices]
[Page 71016-71017]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24no08-121]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Office of Dietary Supplements 2010-2014 Strategic Plan
ACTION: Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment and Public Meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) has initiated a strategic planning process
that will culminate in the ODS Strategic Plan for 2010-2014. To assist
with this process, the ODS requests input from research communities--
academic, government, and industry--and from other interested parties.
The overall purpose of the strategic planning effort is to identify
both new opportunities and emerging needs for incorporation in the
programmatic efforts of the Office. A background paper has been
prepared, A Report to the Public, that summarizes progress in four key
areas of ODS activity. The background paper and related information are
available on the ODS Web site at http://ods.od.nih.gov/strategicplan.
Public comment can be sent directly to ODS or through the public
Webinars ODS will hold on January 29, 2009, February 3, 2009, February
11, 2009, and February 19, 2009. The section on Public Participation
(below) gives details for the Webinars.
DATES: In order to ensure full consideration, all responses must be
submitted by midnight, March 31, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit their
responses to ODSplan@od.nih.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia B. Freeman, Ph.D., Office of
Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, 6100 Executive
Boulevard, Room 3B01, Bethesda, MD 20892-7517, Phone: 301-496-0187,
Fax: 301-480-1845, E-mail: ODSplan@od.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The mission of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) is to
strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by
evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research,
disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an
enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population. The ODS
was established in the Office of the Director, NIH, in 1995 as a major
provision of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994
(DSHEA). A key early activity was the development of the Strategic Plan
for 1998-2003 to set out goals for program development. The Strategic
Plan was prepared with considerable input from NIH Institutes and
Centers, other Federal Agencies, consumers, and other interested
parties. The original five-year plan was revised for 2004-2009.
The five strategic goals for ODS have been:
1. Expand the evaluation of the role of dietary supplements in
disease prevention and in reduction of risk factors associated with
disease.
2. Foster research that evaluates the role of dietary supplements
in maintaining and improving optimal
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physical and mental health and performance.
3. Stimulate and support research to further understanding of the
biochemical and cellular effects of dietary supplements on biological
systems and their physiological impact across the life cycle.
4. Promote and support the development and improvement of
methodologies appropriate to the scientific study of dietary supplement
ingredients.
5. Expand and conduct outreach efforts that inform and educate the
public, health care providers, and scientists about the benefits and
risks of dietary supplements.
ODS is re-examining its Strategic Plan and desires public comment
on the progress of its programs and on future needs and opportunities
for program activities. A background paper, A Report to the Public, has
been prepared that summarizes progress in four key areas of ODS
activities. ODS solicits comments on and suggestions for its future
activities. The background paper and related information are available
on the ODS Web site at http://ods.od.nih.gov/strategicplan. Guidance is
being requested from all interested parties on these important issues.
Are the current strategic goals adequate?
Is ODS meeting its stakeholders' needs?
In the future, should some of ODS's current programs or
activities be given higher (or lower) priority?
How can ODS more effectively provide useful information to
the ODS user community, including consumers, investigators,
practitioners, industry, media, policy makers, government, and other
interested parties?
Public Participation
ODS will hold a series of four Webinars at the times and topics
listed below to hear comments on and suggestions for ODS initiatives
for possible inclusion in the 2010-2014 ODS Strategic Plan. The topic
is taken from the four areas described in the background paper, A
Report to the Public. Each Webinar will begin with brief comments by a
Federal partner and a stakeholder on the topic of that Webinar. The
remainder of each Webinar will be devoted to hearing public comments.
Research Support--Thursday, January 29, 2009, 1-2 p.m. EST.
Research support is through cofunding of NIH grants, including
botanical research centers, individual research grants, training, and
conferences.
Research Tools--Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 2-3 p.m. EST.
Research tools refers to the promotion and support for the
development and improvement of methodologies appropriate to the
scientific study of dietary supplement ingredients, including analytic
methodologies and reference materials, surveys of dietary supplement
use, databases to analyze survey results, and evidence-based reviews of
key dietary supplements.
Science-Policy--Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 1-2 p.m. EST.
Science-policy covers current ODS collaborations to collect
information on scientific issues that is needed for policy discussions.
Three current collaborations include the vitamin D initiative, the use
of dietary supplements by military personnel, and nutrient reference
intake values.
Communications--Thursday, February 19, 2009, 2-3 p.m. EST.
Communications includes outreach and education on dietary
supplements through the ODS Web site and information developed by fact
sheets, newsletters, and through databases on scientific literature and
research on dietary supplements.
The Webinars are open to the public with attendance limited by
individual access to the Internet and a phone and by the availability
of open teleconference phone lines. Members of the public who wish to
make an oral comment should indicate this when registering for the
meeting. Instructions for registering can be found on the ODS Web site:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/strategicplan.
Oral comments will be limited to three minutes and may be
accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation provided that the presentation
is submitted no later than 2 days before the scheduled Webinar.
Individuals who register to speak will be assigned in the order in
which they registered. Due to time constraints, only one representative
from each organization will be allotted time for oral presentation. If
time permits, those who wish to make a brief oral statement and have
not pre-registered to make a comment, will be able to do so.
Archives of the Webinars will be posted on the ODS Web site and may
be viewed at any time. We encourage individuals unable to participate
in a live Webinar and all interested parties to send written comments
by mail, fax, or electronically (see CONTACT INFORMATION, above.) When
mailing or faxing written comments, please provide, if possible, an
electronic version via e-mail.
Dated: November 10, 2008.
Paul M. Coates,
Director, Office of Dietary Supplements, Office of the Director,
National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E8-27791 Filed 11-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P