NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLANS Release Date: January 30, 2002 NOTICE: NOT-HD-02-005 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov) The NICHD supports basic, clinical, and applied research and research training in infant mortality; prevention of birth defects, including genetic diseases; learning disabilities; the development and evaluation of contraceptives and infertility treatments; mental retardation and developmental disabilities; developmental and reproductive biology; demographic and behavioral sciences; and the enhancement or restoration of function in individuals with a physical disability. Throughout FY 2000 and 2001, the NICHD convened workshops in key scientific areas to develop strategic plans to guide the Institute's research activities. In developing these plans, experts within each discipline discussed scientific and public needs and offered specific steps to the Institute to help direct and advance each scientific area. After drafting each of the strategic plans, the public was invited to comment, ensuring that the public's view was considered and included. The NICHD's strategic plans describe a research agenda for the next three to five years. They target the following areas: o From Cells to Selves -- provides the overall framework and goals to guide the Institute's long-term planning process. o Health Disparities: Bridging the Gap -- provides a research agenda to help reduce or eliminate health disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations. o Genetics and Fetal Antecedents of Disease Susceptibility -- provides a research agenda to ensure that new technologies are used to understand the biological, environmental, and other factors contributing to disease susceptibility. o Reproductive Health for the 21st Century -- provides a research agenda to increase our knowledge about reproductive processes to overcome infertility and ensure successful pregnancies and healthy birth outcomes. o Biobehavioral Development -- provides a research agenda to increase our understanding of the processes involved in forming cognitive, learning, emotional, social, and physical behaviors and in the rehabilitation of persons with physical and developmental disabilities. o Developmental Biology: Understanding Normal and Abnormal Development -- provides a research agenda to study early development in utero and to prevent birth defects. o Targeting Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): A Strategic Plan -- provides a research agenda to increase our knowledge of SIDS, its origins, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and prognostics, as well as preventive strategies and interventions. These strategic plans can be viewed at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/strategicplan/cells/. To advance these scientific areas in a direction that will encourage collaborative approaches and innovative findings, the Institute encourages investigators to submit grant applications that address the specific areas discussed in these plans. INQUIRIES Potential applicants are encouraged to contact NICHD staff prior to developing their applications. Information on Institute extramural programs and staff contacts is available on the NICHD website at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/organization.htm.
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