Expected Benefits: Input from external stakeholders will assist CSR in—

·         Accelerating planned multi-year assessments.

·         Ensuring all science is given an appropriate review.

·         Identifying new and emerging areas of science which will enable CSR to be proactive in meeting the needs of these new areas.

Status: This initiative began in the summer of 2006 with several internal planning meetings. Through these meetings, Integrated Review Groups (IRGs) were clustered into one of six general science areas – Neuroscience, Behavioral and Social Science, Disease-Based, Integrated Biological 1, Integrated Biological 2, and Biomolecular. The six science areas served as a basis for the conceptualization of a series of one-day workshops, with each individual workshop focusing on a specific science area.  Throughout the fall of 2006, targeted participant lists—which included the scientific leadership of pertinent professional societies, study section chairs, and NIH community members—for each workshop were compiled and meeting dates were identified. Invitations for the first Open House workshop, focusing on Neuroscience, were disseminated on December 29, 2006. To globally advertise the workshop series CSR launched an Open House Web site and issued a press-release. A notice advertising the workshop series was placed in the February 18^th edition of Science Magazine.

Three Open Houses have been completed and the fourth Open House: Biological I, will be held at the Natcher Conference Center on August 24^th. 

Schedule for Implementation: The first Open House workshop, focusing on the Neuroscience IRGs, was held on March 2, 2007. The Behavioral and Social Sciences Open House was conducted on April 25^th. The Disease-based Open House met on June 29^th. About 150-180 scientific leaders from across the country attended each session. All workshops assumed the same general format; After morning plenary sessions where NIH staff explain the current study section alignment and history of alignment evaluation, participants took part in a breakout session where they were asked to respond to two specific questions which serve as the crux of the workshop: (1) What will be the most important questions or enabling technologies occurring in the discipline of your science within the next 10 years? And (2) Is the science of your discipline, in its present state, appropriately evaluated within the current study section alignment? Suggestions? At the breakout session’s conclusion, breakout leaders present their top themes/issues for each question to all in attendance. Approximately one-month after the workshop’s conclusion, a meeting summary is posted on the CSR Open House Workshop Web site. Participants and the public have the opportunity to submit post meeting comments at that time. Input obtained both at the meeting and via pre- and post-meeting comments are analyzed by internal CSR staff, presented to NIH Peer Review Advisory Committee, and action steps will be taken, as appropriate.

Open House Workshop Schedule, Reports and More Information are available on the Open House Web page.