GPRA reporting is integrated with the budget process as part of the President's Management Agenda - Budget and Performance Integration Initiative.  There are three reporting periods for GPRA: the first two focus on planning and the third on performance reporting.

Every activity at NIH is carried out in support of NIH’s mission:  To uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone.  For the purpose of planning and performance assessment, NIH achieves its mission through a single program - Research. Under this program, NIH carries out activities in five functional areas.   

One functional area is Scientific Research Outcomes.  The goals in this area are representative of the full NIH portfolio and reflect a trans-NIH approach to establishing goals.  The goals are presented in a matrix that reflects low- to high-risk (risk = difficulty in obtaining the goal) and the number of years the agency estimates that it will take to attain the goal.  The other four functional areas include performance goals which are representative of activities that enable research and its management.  One of the links at the end of this section shows the "drivers" or the components of each functional area.   The performance goals encompass either intramural or extramural research activities or both, and they are all aligned with the agency mission. 

·          Scientific Research Outcomes (SRO).  NIH supports and conducts investigations across the full range of health research, including basic research, which may be disease-oriented or related to the development and application of breakthrough technologies; observational and population-based research; behavioral research; prevention research; health services research; translational research; and clinical research.  Clinical research includes research to understand both normal health and disease states, translational research which involves the application of laboratory findings to clinical interventions, as well as research on new treatments or prevention strategies. 

·          Communication and Transfer of Results (CTR).  The new knowledge resulting from NIH research activities cannot benefit public health unless the information is disseminated.  Thus, a core NIH function is to facilitate the communication of research findings—both in the U.S. and abroad—to clinicians, public health systems, voluntary health organizations, and the public at large.  Scientific knowledge is the bedrock of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs.  The diversity of the U.S. population means that effective communication requires varied approaches.  Equally important is transferring knowledge to the private sector to be used in the development of new interventions, behavioral strategies, medications, biomedical technologies, and devices that lead to better health. 

·          Capacity Building and Research Resources (CBRR).  The productivity of a research enterprise depends in large measure on the strength of the talent pool and on the technological and other resources available for use in investigations.  Support for pre-doctoral and postdoctoral research training replenishes and revitalizes the talent pool with new,  highly trained investigators.  Support for career development hones and expands the skills of those already performing research.  In building capacity in the talent pool through training and career development, NIH particularly strives to augment the ranks of clinical researchers, enhance diversity, ensure well-trained foreign collaborators, and facilitate investigators’ aptitude for multidisciplinary teamwork.  Capacity building also consists of improving and maintaining the Nation’s biomedical research infrastructure.  Also fundamental to the productivity of the research enterprise are the availability and accessibility of essential research tools, cutting-edge technologies, animal models, reagents, databases and other information repositories.  This is because research resources set the boundaries for what questions can be investigated.  Within research resources, information technology requires special notice.  New technologies to share, transfer, and mine vast amounts of complex data electronically are revolutionizing the conduct of science and the management, administration, and support of the research enterprise. 

·          Strategic Management of Human Capital (SMHC).  NIH recognizes human capital as one of the most important resources of the organization.  A qualified workforce, working in an environment that utilizes their strengths, fosters the effective and efficient implementation of the NIH research program.  NIH aims in this area include delayering, competitive sourcing, and developing a plan for strategic recruitment and retention, as well as continuity and leadership succession. 

·          Program Oversight and Improvement (POI).  Ensuring that NIH activities and strategies are carried out effectively and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations requires careful oversight and thoughtful improvement in procedures, policies, and systems.  Management systems need to be continually reviewed and updated to keep pace with advances in public administration, and mechanisms to ensure proper stewardship must evolve with the development of new requirements and rising thresholds for accountability.  Meeting these challenges is a priority for NIH. 

NIH supports a balanced portfolio of research, and its performance goals and targets are representative of that portfolio.  Given the unpredictable nature of scientific discovery, NIH continually adjusts its targets to reflect the latest developments in science.  NIH reports on performance by presenting a story of scientific discovery, including the background (burden of disease), rationale for the goal, planned implementation strategies, baseline data, summary of performance, targets and target adjustment to enhance goal achievement, and other highlights. 

Research Performance "Driver" Map

GPRA Legislation: Public Law 103-62

The full text of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 is provided here.

OMB Circular A-11

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-11 provides instructions for federal programs on how to prepare budget submissions. The most current version is dated November 2005. The circular has eight parts:

• Part 1 contains general information.
• Part 2 covers the preparation and submission of budget estimates.
• Part 3 covers selected actions following transmittal of the budget.
• Part 4 contains instructions on budget execution.
• Part 5 covers federal credit.
• Part 6, which is provided here as a reference, covers the preparation and submission of strategic plans, annual performance plans, and annual program performance reports.
• Part 7 covers the planning, budgeting, acquisition and management of capital assets.
• Part 8 contains the appendices.

For complete information on OMB Circular A-11, go to the Office of Management and Budget website.