Skip Navigation
Strategic Planning Process
The NIGMS Strategic Plan 2008–2012 is the result of a comprehensive consultation process that began in the fall of 2006 and solicited perspectives, opinions, and other input from scientists, policymakers, scientific and professional societies, the general public, and Institute staff. NIGMS Director Jeremy M. Berg appointed a strategic planning committee, composed of NIGMS staff and broadly representing the Institute, to develop the procedures, format, and timetable for the overall strategic planning process and to define some of the key issues. Following an announcement in the Federal Register, NIGMS posted questions on its Web site between February 20 and March 20, 2007. These included:
- What factors should NIGMS consider in deciding how to set its priorities with respect to new and existing areas of support?
- What factors should NIGMS consider in deciding how to set its priorities with respect to research training?
- What new and emerging areas, approaches, or technologies in basic biomedical research should NIGMS pursue?
- As part of its efforts to maintain a balanced research portfolio, how can NIGMS best encourage and support research that is highly innovative and/or risky?
- Are there areas of current NIGMS research activity that should receive less emphasis?
- How can NIGMS enhance its communications with the scientific community and the public?
- How can NIGMS more effectively promote and encourage greater diversity in the biomedical research workforce?
Following the Internet comment period, NIGMS convened a 2-day conference in April 2007. About 50 participants were invited to represent all the dimensions of the NIGMS extramural scientific community. The participants met in both breakout and plenary sessions to discuss Institute plans and priorities. Discussion was framed around the same set of questions and issues presented in the Internet comment period.
NIGMS staff worked at length to distill input from both the posted questions and the conference, and this information was used to formulate a draft plan, which was posted on the NIGMS Web site for public comment in September 2007.
Previous: Inside NIGMS