NIH releases first Biennial Report of the
Director
Dr. Raynard S. Kington, acting director of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), today announced the publication of the first Biennial
Report of the Director, a document that provides an integrated
portrait of NIH research activities. The report makes it easier
for Congress, advocates and patient groups, and the general public
to understand the many programs within the agency.
The report contains an assessment of the state of biomedical and
behavioral research organized by disease category, investigative
approach, or resource. To ensure that the document reflects the
work of all 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs), 15 trans-NIH teams
gathered, reviewed, and organized information into a standardized
format. To best serve the public and the scientific and legislative
communities, sections of the report include:
- An introduction to the disease, disorder, field, or approach;
- A summary of the scope of NIH’s research activities referencing
the ICs whose missions address the topic;
- Related health statistics;
- Aggregate data on NIH funding;
- Notable examples of research activities, key programs, initiatives,
studies and accomplishments; and
- Strategic plans and directions for future research.
As mandated by Congress, the report includes chapters on the following
diseases, disorders, health topics, and NIH activities:
- Cancer;
- Neuroscience and disorders of the nervous system;
- Infections diseases and biodefense;
- Autoimmune diseases;
- Chronic diseases and organ systems;
- Life stages, human development, and rehabilitation;
- Minority health and health disparities;
- Epidemiological and longitudinal studies;
- Genomics;
- Molecular biology and basic sciences;
- Clinical and translational research;
- Disease registries, databases, and biomedical information systems;
- Technology development;
- Research training and career development;
- Health communication, information campaigns, and clearinghouses;
and
- Six congressionally-mandated NIH Center of Excellence programs.
The report is available through the Research Portfolio Online
Reporting Tool (RePORT) Web site at http://biennialreport.nih.gov.
The Web version of the document contains PDFs and links to NIH
programs, plans and publications referenced in the report. The
print version of the report will be released in late January. Thumb
drives loaded with PDFs of the print and web versions of the report
also will be available. This public release follows the submission
of an administrative pre-print of the report to Congress in early
June.
The NIH Reform Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-482) affirmed the importance
of NIH and its vital role in advancing biomedical research to improve
the health of the nation. The legislation established new strategies
to accomplish NIH’s mission in an era when the scale and complexity
of health issues require constant innovation and interdisciplinary
efforts. To that end, the NIH Reform Act replaced many of the disparate
reports required by law from NIH’s ICs with one comprehensive biennial
account to Congress. The NIH Biennial Report for Fiscal Years 2006 & 2007
is the agency’s first under the new mandate.
The Office of the Director, NIH, provides leadership, oversight,
and coordination for the entire NIH research enterprise. Also within
the Office of the Director, many offices develop NIH policy and
provide essential NIH-wide oversight and coordination. For more
information, please visit http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/index.htm.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov. |