PURPOSE
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) is mandated under section 301 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 241), to conduct and support through grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts research relating to dental and craniofacial conditions and diseases. In addition, the Secretary is authorized under section 487 of the PHS Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 288), to support research and research training through National Research Service Awards.
The Special Grants Review Committee (Initial Review Committee) reviews grant and cooperative agreement applications and contract proposals for research projects and for research training activities in areas relevant to dental and craniofacial conditions and diseases.
AUTHORITY
42 U.S.C. 282(b)(6), section 402 (b)(6) of the PHS Act, as amended. The Initial Review Group is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.
FUNCTION
The Initial Review Committee shall advise the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), on the scientific and technical merit of applications for grants-in-aid for research, research training, or research related grants and cooperative agreements, and contract proposals relating to scientific areas relevant to the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of dental and craniofacial diseases that include both basic and clinical research.
The members shall survey, as scientific leaders, the status of research and research training in their fields.
As necessary, the Initial Review Committee and subcommittees shall be able to call upon special consultants; assemble ad hoc working groups; and convene conferences, workshops, or other activities.
STRUCTURE
Members, the Chair, and the Chairs of the subcommittees shall be selected by the Director, NIH, from authorities knowledgeable in the various disciplines and fields related to dental, medical and fundamental sciences, as well as academic and public administration.
Members shall be invited to serve for overlapping terms of up to four years; the term for a member who is to serve as Chair may include a fifth year.
As necessary, standing and ad hoc subcommittees of the Initial Review Committee, composed of members from the parent committee, may be established to perform specific functions within the Initial Review Committees’s jurisdiction. The Department Committee Management Officer shall be notified upon establishment of each standing subcommittee and shall be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.
The Chairs of each subcommittee may be designated as co-Chairs for the Initial Review Group as a whole and upon approval by the subcommittee Chair, the advice of the subcommittee shall be considered the advice of the Initial Review Group.
A member of one subcommittee may serve as a voting member of other subcommittees when that member’s expertise is required. However, they shall not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum.
The permanent membership of the Initial Review Group may be supplemented at any meeting through temporary members who have experience or expertise in the fields and disciplines related to the Initial Review Group’s function and are appointed to review some or all of the applications considered at that meeting. Notification to the prospective temporary member from the Designated Federal Official that the individual is to attend the meeting shall constitute a temporary appointment to the committee for purposes of that meeting, and the individual shall have all the rights and obligations of committee membership at that meeting, including the right to vote on recommendations in which the individual fully participated as a reviewer. Temporary members will be included in the tracking of reviewers with respect to geographical distribution and ethnic and gender representation to ensure that appropriate balance of members’ perspectives may be maintained. Temporary members shall not count toward a quorum.
A quorum for the conduct of business by the full Initial Review Committee is eleven members. A quorum for each subcommittee shall be five members.
Management and support services shall be provided by the Scientific Review Branch, NIDCR.
MEETINGS
The full Initial Review Group shall meet in plenary session three times a year as called by the Chair with advance approval of a Government official, who shall approve the agenda. A Government official shall be present at all meetings.
Meetings shall be open to the public unless determined otherwise by the Secretary. Notice of all meetings shall be given to the public.
Meetings shall be conducted and records of the proceedings kept, as required by applicable laws and departmental policies.
COMPENSATION
Members shall be paid at the rate of $200 per day, plus per diem and travel expenses in accordance with Standard Government Travel Regulations. Members who are officers or employees of the United States shall not receive compensation for service on the committee.
ANNUAL COST ESTIMATE
The estimated annual cost for operating the Committee, including compensation and travel expenses for members, but excluding staff support, is $83,587. The estimate of annual person-years of staff support required is 1.6 at an estimated annual cost of $122,965.
REPORTS
In the event a portion of a meeting is closed to the public, a report shall be prepared which shall contain, as a minimum, a list of members and their business addresses, the committee’s functions, dates, and places of meetings, and a summary of committee activities and recommendations made during the fiscal year. A copy of the report shall be provided to the Department Committee Management Officer.
TERMINATION DATE
Continuing.
Approved:
__________________ ____________________________
Date Acting Director, NIH
PROPOSED PLAN FOR APPROPRIATE BALANCE OF COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Special Grants Review Committee consists of twenty members, including the Chair, who are knowledgeable of the issues related to the Committee's function. They shall be selected from outstanding authorities in the fields of dental, medical and fundamental sciences, as well as academic and public administration.
The Department will give close attention to equitable geographic distribution and to minority and female representation so long as the effectiveness of the Committee is not impaired.
Appointments shall be made without discrimination on the basis of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, cultural, religious, or socioeconomic status.