IC Directors' Meeting Highlights |
November 7, 2005
Discussion Items I. Title 42 Recruitment and Retention Ms. Barros explained that in order to ensure greater uniformity across agencies, HHS issued Instruction 42-1, “Appointment of 42 USC 209 (f) Scientists,” in the fall of 2004 that contains the following requirements:
She then brought the group up to date on the committee that Dr. Zerhouni established to consider issues related to the implementation of the Department’s policy. The principal goal of this committee, composed of representatives from the NIH intramural, extramural, senior administrative, and human resources communities, is to bring NIH into compliance with HHS requirements, while at the same time preserving maximum flexibility in NIH usage of this very valuable appointing authority. II. Update from Surgeon General Dr. Carmona first thanked NIH senior leadership, saying that NIH cooperation with the Office of the Surgeon General has been indispensable. He then updated the group on important education efforts he has undertaken related to prevention, terrorism, and health disparities. He personally thanked a number of IC Directors and OD Senior Staff members for their support and advice on specific issues during his tenure. And he ended his presentation by recognizing Dr. Zerhouni as a “great communicator.” A question and answer session followed with many attendees offering ideas for continued cooperation and joint efforts. Scientific Presentation III. The Hereditary Basis for Communication Disorders Dr. Battey first remarked that mouse and zebra fish models are indispensable research tools in addressing the compelling public health problems involving communication disorders. He specifically thanked those in the NIH community who are working on and providing such models. He then presented recent findings and ongoing groundbreaking research on several communication disorders. First he reported the latest on Usher Syndrome, the three phenotypes of which are genetically distinct. He also discussed genetic research in noise-induced hearing loss and stuttering. Much of this research relies on trans-NIH efforts and cooperation as well as international efforts. A lively and exciting discussion followed the presentation and revealed the many NIH components involved in these areas. Dale Johnson cc: |
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National Institutes of Health (NIH) |