Freedom of Information Act Office
Freedom of Information Annual Report FY 2003
I. AGENCY: National Institutes of Health
REPORT PREPARED BY: Susan R. Cornell
TITLE: Freedom of Information Officer
ADDRESS: Bldg. 31, Rm. 5B35, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
PHONE NUMBER: 301-496-5633
ELECTRONIC ADDRESS FOR REPORT ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB:
http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/foia/annualreports/annualreport2003.htm
ADDRESS FOR PAPER COPIES OF REPORT:
Freedom of Information Office
Building 31, Room 5B35
9000 Rockville Pike,
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
II. HOW TO MAKE A FOIA REQUEST:
See http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/foia/index.htm#requests
A. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of all individual agency components and offices that process FOIA requests:
NIH Freedom of Information Coordinators
(all addresses are 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892 unless
otherwise noted)
IC | BLDG | ROOM | PHONE |
---|---|---|---|
NCI | 31 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 |
10A34 | 301-496-2999 |
NHGRI | 31 | 4B09 | 301-594-1929 |
NINR | 6701 Democracy Blvd. 1 Democracy Plaza Bethesda, MD 20817 |
710 | 301-594-6869 |
NCRR | 6701 Democracy Blvd. Bethesda, MD 20817 |
978 | 301-435-0888 |
NEI | 31 | 6A32 | 301-496-5248 |
NHLBI | 31 | 5A33 | 301-496-9737 |
NIA | 31 | 5C27 | 301-496-1752 |
NIAAA | Willco 6000 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
505 | 301-443-5726 |
NIAID | 6610 Rockledge Drive Bethesda, MD 20817 |
2008 | 301-451-5109 |
NIAMS | 6701 Democracy Blvd. Bethesda, MD 20817 |
800 | 301-594-3535 |
NIBIB | 31 | 5A33 | 301-497-9737 |
NICHD | 31 | 2A32 | 301-496-5133 |
NIDA | 6001 Executive Blvd. Bethesda, MD 20852 |
5249 | 301-443-6036 |
NIDCD | Executive Plaza South 6120 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
400C | 301-496-8693 |
NIDDK | 31 | 9A47 | 301-496-2978 |
NIDCR | 45 | 4AS-25J | 301-496-4263 |
NIEHS | Mail Drop EC-12 Box 12233 Research Triangle Pk., North Carolina, 27709 |
919-541-3411 | |
NIGMS | 45 | 2AN-32 | 301-594-5135 |
NIMH | 6011 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
8184 | 301-443-4536 |
NINDS | 6001 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
3248 | 301-496-7359 |
NLM | 38A | 2S10 | 301-496-6308 |
NCCAM | 31 | 5A33 | 301-496-9737 |
NCMHD | 31 | 5A33 | 301-496-9737 |
CC | 6100 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD |
3C01 | 301-496-2563 |
CIT | 12A | 4063 | 301-496-6204 |
OFM | 31 | B1-C34 | 301-496-8934 |
OLAO | 6011 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
529K | 301-496-0462 |
OAMP | 6100 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
6D01 | 301-496-6431 |
CSR | 6701 Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD 20817 |
3109 | 301-435-1107 |
FIC | 31 | B2-C29 | 301-496-4625 |
OBA | 6705 Rockledge Dr. Rockville, MD 20817 |
757 | 301-435-8267 |
OER | 4184 Rockledge I 6705 Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD 20892 |
4184 | 301-402-1058 |
OLAW | 4185 Rockledge 16705 Rockledge Dr. Bethesda, MD 20892 |
4184 | 301-402-1058 |
OMA | 6011 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
601 | 301-496-5586 |
ORS | 31 | 4B63 | 301-402-3570 |
OTT | 6011 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20852 |
325 | 301-435-4076 |
B. Brief description of agency's response time range(s): Response time ranges from three weeks to several months depending on complexity of request.
C. Brief description of why some requests are not granted: Requests are not granted if the information requested falls within one of the statute's enumerated exemptions, the information requested falls under the jurisdiction of another DHHS component (such requests are forwarded); or if no documents exist which are responsive to the request.
III. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS USED IN REPORT:
-
A. Agency specific terms or acronyms:
NCI | National Cancer Institute |
NHGRI | National Human Genome Research Institute |
NINR | National Institute of Nursing Research |
NCRR | National Center for Research Resources |
NEI | National Eye Institute |
NHLBI | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |
NIA | National Institute on Aging |
NIAAA | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism |
NIAID | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases |
NIAMS | National Institute on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases |
NIBIB | National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering |
NICHD | National Institute of Child Health and Human Development |
NIDA | National Institute on Drug Abuse |
NIDCD | National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders |
NIDDK | National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
NIDCR | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research |
NIEHS | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences |
NIGMS | National Institute of General Medical Sciences |
NIMH | National Institute of Mental Health |
NINDS | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke |
NLM | National Library of Medicine |
CC | Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center |
CIT | Center for Information Technology |
NCCAM | National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
NCMHD | National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities |
OFM | Office of Financial Management |
OLAO | Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations |
OAMP | Office of Acquisition Management and Policy |
CSR | Center for Scientific Review |
FIC | Fogerty International Center |
OBA | Office of Biotechnology Activities |
OER | Office of Extramural Research |
OMA | Office of Management Assessment |
OLAW | Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare |
ORS | Office of Research Services |
OTT | Office of Technology Transfer |
B. Basic terms: Description can be found on the DHHS website, see http://www.hhs.gov/foia/
IV. EXEMPTION 3 STATUTES:
A. List of Exemption 3 statutes relied on by the agency during report year:
5 U.S.C. App. 4, §107(a)(2) (prohibits the release of Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Form 450, "Confidential Financial Disclosure Report" and Health and Human Services Form 520, "Request for Approval of Outside Activity")
1. Brief description of type(s) of information withheld under each statute: NIH withheld copies of Form 450s.
2. Has a court upheld the use of each statute: No
V. INITIAL FOIA ACCESS REQUESTS (Include all requests, 3rd or 1st party):
A. Numbers of initial requests (line 1 + line 2 - line 3 = line 4):
1. Number of requests pending at close of preceding fiscal year: 403*
2. Number of requests received during reporting fiscal year: 8,866
3. Number of requests processed during reporting fiscal year: 8,500
4. Number of requests pending at close of reporting fiscal year: 769
B. Disposition of Initial Requests:
1. Number granted in full: 8,208
2. Number granted in part: 17
3. Number of full denials: 7
a. Number of times each FOIA exemption was used:
Exemption 1: 0 Exemption 2: 0 Exemption 3: 2 Exemption 4: 9 Exemption 5: 11 Exemption 6: 16 Exemption 7: 0 Exemption 7(A) 4 Exemption 7(B) 0 Exemption 7(C) 2 Exemption 7(D) 0 Exemption 7(E) 0 Exemption 7(F) 0 Exemption 8: 0 Exemption 9: 0 4. Other reasons for non-disclosure (total): 268
a. no records: 117 b. referrals: 6 c. request withdrawn: 110 d. fee-related reason: 16 > e. records not reasonably described: 15 f. not a proper FOIA request for some other reason: 0 g. not an agency record: 3 h. duplicate request: 1 i. other (specify): 0
VI. APPEALS OF INITIAL DENIALS OF FOIA REQUESTS (include all access requests whether first or third party):
A. Numbers of Appeals:
1. Number of appeals received during the fiscal year: 18
2. Number of appeals processed during the fiscal year: 16
B. Disposition of Appeals: To Be Provided by DHHS The Appeal Authority
1. Number completely upheld:
2. Number partially reversed:
3. Number completely reversed:
4. Number still pending at end of fiscal year:
a. Number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each exemption used once per appeal). Exemption 1:
Exemption 2:
Exemption 3:
Exemption 4:
Exemption 5:
Exemption 6:
Exemption 7:
Exemption 7(A):
Exemption 7(B):
Exemption 7 (C):
Exemption 7(D):
Exemption 7(E):
Exemption 7(F):
Exemption 8:
Exemption 9:5. Other reasons for non-disclosure (total):
a. No records:
b. referrals:
c. request withdrawn:
d. Fee-related reason:
e. records not reasonably described:
f. Not a proper FOIA request for some other reason:
g. Not an agency record:
h. duplicate request:
i. constructive denial:
VII. COMPLIANCE WITH TIME LIMITS/STATUS OF PENDING REQUESTS:
A. Median Processing Time for Requests Processed During the Year.
1. Simple Requests (if multiple tracks used): Multiple tracks were not used
a. number of requests processed: N/A
b. median number of days to process: N/A2. Complex Requests (specify for any and all tracks used):
a. number of requests processed: N/A
b. median number of days to process: N/A3. Requests Accorded Expedited Processing: 0
a. number of requests processed: N/A
b. median number of days to process: N/A4. All Requests - (single track used)
a. number of requests processed: 8,500
b. median number of days to process FOIA: 172
c. median number of days to process PA: 6B. Status of Pending Requests (if multiple tracks are being used, report for each track as well as totals).
1. Number of requests pending as of the end of the fiscal year: 769
2. Median number of days that FOIA requests were pending as of that date: 163
3. Median number of days that PA requests were pending as of that date: 11
VIII. COMPARISONS WITH PREVIOUS YEARS(S) (Optional):
IX. COSTS/FOIA STAFFING:
A. Staffing levels:
1. Number of full-time FOIA & PA personnel: 14
2. Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA /PA duties (in total work-years): 32.47
3. Total number of personnel (in work years): 46.47
B. Total costs (including staff and all resources):
1. FOIA & PA processing (including appeals): $1,736,875.03
2. Litigation-related activities (estimated): $691.26
3. Total costs: $1,737,566.20
4. Comparison with previous year(s) (including percentage of change)(optional):
X. FEES:
A. Total amount of fees collected by agency for processing requests: $42,329.80
B. Percentage of total costs: 2.436%
XI. FOIA REGULATIONS (including fee schedule): See 45 C.F.R. Part 5 or http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/foia/cfr45.htm
*At the close of FY 2002, the NIH reported 560 pending requests. In FY 2003 the NIH closed 157 cases retroactively as these cases actually had been completed during previous fiscal years.
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