Board of Scientific Counselors
Basic Sciences
Charter Summary

AUTHORITY

42 U.S.C. 284(c)(3), section 405(c)(3) of the PHS Act, as amended. The Board 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.

STRUCTURE

The Board shall consist of 30 members, including the Chair appointed by the Director, NCI, from authorities knowledgeable in the fields of laboratory, clinical and biometric research, clinical cancer treatment, cancer etiology, and cancer prevention and control with emphasis on training and experience in the various disciplines and fields related to scientific areas relevant to carcinogenesis, cancer biology and diagnosis, medicine, cancer chemotherapy, cancer epidemiology, cancer prevention and control, cancer education, cancer information services, biological, chemical and physical carcinogenesis, DNA repair and effects, tumor biology and immunology, humoral and cellular immunity, hematopoiesis, cell differentiation and transformation, oncogenes and growth factors, molecular and structural biology and genetic regulation, viral oncology, vaccine development, transplantation, chemotherapy, pharmacology, drug development and developmental therapeutics, genetic and immunotherapies, pathology, diagnostic research and cytogenetics, biological response modifiers, imaging, nutrition, survey research, biostatistics, psychology and behavioral medicine, public health and community oncology, cancer detection and diagnosis, cancer treatment and restorative care, nutrition, education of health professionals, medical oncology, gynecologic oncology, and pediatric oncology.

Members shall be invited to serve for overlapping terms of up to five years. The term for the member who is to serve as Chair may include a fifth year. A member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor has taken office.

As necessary, subcommittees may be established to perform functions within the Board’s jurisdiction. The advice and recommendations of a subcommittee must be deliberated by the parent advisory committee. A subcommittee may not report directly to a Federal official unless there is statutory authority to do so.

Subcommittee membership may be drawn in whole or in part from the parent advisory committee. All subcommittee members may vote on subcommittee actions and all subcommittee members count towards the quorum for a subcommittee meeting. Ad hoc consultants do not count towards the quorum and may not vote. Subcommittee members who are not members of the parent committee may attend closed sessions of the parent committee meeting but they may not count towards the quorum of the parent committee and they cannot vote on committee actions.

A quorum for the conduct of business by the full board shall be five members.

Management and staff services shall be provided by the Office of the Director, NCI, who shall appoint an Executive Secretary.

FUNCTION

The Board shall advise the Director of CCR, and the Director and Deputy Director, NCI, on a wide variety of matters concerning scientific program policy and progress and future direction of research programs in the areas of basic sciences including experimental immunology, immunobiology, tumor immunology and biology, biochemistry, molecular immunoregulation, cellular oncology, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, tumor cell biology, tumor virus biology, experimental pathology, molecular oncology, molecular virology, cellular and molecular biology, human carcinogenesis, viral carcinogenesis, biology, chemoprevention, carcinogenesis and tumor promotion, experimental carcinogenesis, basic carcinogenesis, biological chemistry, experimental immunology, biochemical physiology, medicinal chemistry, nutritional and molecular regulation, immune cell biology, leukocyte biology, molecular pharmacology, and mathematical biology. This will include the evaluation of performance and productivity of principal investigators through periodic site visits to intramural laboratories of the CCR and evaluation and advice on the course of this programs. The advisory role of the Board is scientific and does not include deliberation on matters of public policy.

The Board shall be provided with a written description of the overall research to be reviewed. The review and any resulting recommendations shall be included in a written report submitted to the CCR Director who will transmit it to the Director, NCI, the Deputy Director for Intramural Research, NIH, and the Director, NIH. The NCI shall provide annually to the National Cancer Advisory Board a written description of the research reviewed and the results of each review.

As necessary, the Board may call upon special consultants; assemble ad hoc working groups; and convene conferences, workshops, or other activities.

MEETINGS

Meetings of the full Board shall be held approximately three times a year at the call of the Chair, with the advance approval of a Government official who also approves the agenda. A Government official shall be present at all meetings of the Board and its subcommittees.

Meetings shall be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 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.