NIH
National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease Updated; NIH Releases FY 2018 AD Bypass Budget
On August 1, the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services under the auspices of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) discussed a draft of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease: 2016 Update. At that same meeting, National Institute on Aging (NIA) Director Richard Hodes presented the NIA’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease (and related dementias) Bypass Budget, “Stopping Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Advancing Our Nation’s Research Agenda.”
SBM/NCI to Host Webinar Highlighting Six New NCI Funding Opportunities
The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), a COSSA member, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), will host a webinar on Friday, August 12 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. designed to share information about new priorities in behavioral research from NCI in areas such as cognition, integrated data analysis, and cancer communication in new media. Associate Director of the NCI Behavioral Research Program William Kleinwill provide an overview the funding opportunities. To view the webinar register here. The associated NCI Funding Opportunity Announcements are: Leveraging Cognitive Neuroscience Research to Improve Assessment of Cancer Treatment Related Cognitive Impairment RO1…
State of Play: FY 2017 Funding for Social Science Research
Congress has adjourned for a seven-week recess and will not be returning to work until after Labor Day. Despite promises for a return to “regular order” in the annual appropriations process, we find ourselves in familiar territory with none of the 12 annual spending bills expected to be enacted into law before the new fiscal year begins October 1. In fact, none of the bills that fund research agencies and programs (the Commerce, Justice Science bill and the Labor, HHS, Education bill) have yet to make it to the House or Senate floors for debate. Upon returning to work in…
NIH Aging Institute Seeking to Fill Vacancies
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking candidates for a number of job vacancies and has released pre-announcements for the positions. NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) and its recently appointed director John Haaga are looking to fill the following positions: Deputy Director Research Program Analysts (2 positions) Health Scientist Administrator for Alzheimer’s Disease Chief of BSR’s Population and Social Processes Branch Health Scientist Administrator The Institute is also seeking a Public Affairs Specialist in the Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL), a Program Analyst in the Division of Neuroscience, a…
Congressional Briefing Highlights Research for Fighting the Opioid Epidemic
On June 24, the National Prevention Science Coalition (NPSC), RTI International (a COSSA member organization), and the American Orthopsychiatry Association sponsored a Congressional briefing, Fighting the Opioid Epidemic on Multiple Fronts by Leveraging Empirical Evidence, to discuss “research-based evidence for strategies preventing, intervening, and maintaining abstinence from opiate addictions.” The briefing’s speakers included Scott Novak, RTI International; Terrence Walton, National Association of Drug Court Professionals; and Kenzie Preston, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Novak’s presentation, “Opioids in America: Opportunities for Prevention and Treatment,” addressed the scope of the United States’ opioid crisis from a scientific perspective and potential opportunities for intervention. He cautioned…
Preliminary Details of House Labor-HHS Bill Released
On July 7, the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee passed its fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations bill for agencies and programs under its jurisdiction, which include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Department of Education, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), among others. While text of the draft appropriations bill was released to coincide with the Subcommittee markup, the Committee Report is not expected to be released until the bill is marked up by the full Appropriations Committee on…
Video Shares Insights into NIH Grant Application and Peer Review Process
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review (CSR) recently posted a video compiling insights from individuals who have participated in the NIH’s peer review process, including peer reviewers, study section chairs, and NIH staff. The video is designed to guide applicants in planning and writing a competitive grant application, including writing the summary and specific aims sections of the application; explaining why the research is essential; and the importance of explaining proposed techniques, among other suggestions. The video is part of CSR’s Insider’s Guide to Peer Review for Applicants. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Congressional Briefing Explores Groundbreaking Research on the Health of the Aging
On June 30, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with Friends of the National Institute on Aging (FoNIA) hosted an educational briefing on Capitol Hill on “Advancing the health of an aging population: Groundbreaking Research Supported by the NIA.” FoNIA is a broad-based coalition of aging, disease, research, and patient groups that supports the mission of the Institute; COSSA is a longstanding member. The briefing continues the series of annual FoNIA Congressional briefings designed to share the latest aging research with Congress and its staff. Presenters included NIA Director Richard Hodes; NIA Deputy…
Scientific Workforce Diversity Discussed at NIH Advisory Committee Meeting
On June 9, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity Hannah Valantine updated the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) on the findings and recommendations of the ACD’s African American/Black Funding Disparity Working Group. Valantine presented the key findings of the Working Group followed by a discussion of how the Working Group framed its suggestions regarding NIH’s plans to address the issue in the coming months. She reported that the Group’s analysis found that there are funding disparities at every stage of the application process from submissions to funding. In particular, the analysis found…
Senate Presses Forward on 2017 Spending Bills
The Senate Appropriations Committee has been making progress over the last several weeks on its fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations bills in an effort to pass as many of the bills as possible before heading home in mid-July for the party conventions and August recess (follow all of the developments on the COSSA website). The FY 2017 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill, which made it out of Committee on April 21, is expected to be on the Senate floor later this week. Stay tuned – COSSA will be closely monitoring the floor debate as this is when we could…
NIGMS Seeks Input on “Strategies for Modernizing Biomedical Graduate Education”
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a Request for Information (RFI): Strategies for Modernizing Biomedical Graduate Education (NOT-GM-16-109) seeking the input of the scientific community and the general public “on how to catalyze the modernization of biomedical graduate education through NIGMS’s institutional predoctoral training grants program.” The Institute would like to receive input on such topics addressing changes that assure that future researchers have the knowledge, skills and abilities to navigate biomedical research; major barriers to pursuing this training through NIGMS training programs; and the key skills needed by…
OBSSR 2016-2020 Strategic Plan Discussed at NIH Council of Councils
On May 20, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) Director William Riley updated and received feedback from the NIH Council of Councils regarding the progress of the OBSSR 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. The Council consists of approximately 30 members, selected from the various NIH Institute and Center (IC) Advisory Councils, representatives nominated by the Office of the Director program offices, and broad lay representation. It also advises the NIH Director on matters related to the policies and activities of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), where OBSSR is housed.
John Haaga Named Director of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research
On March 24, National Institute on Aging (NIA) Director Richard Hodes announced the appointment of John Haaga as director of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR). Haaga has served as the Division’s acting director where he has served as deputy director for the past 11 years. Prior to joining NIA, Haaga held leadership positions at the Population Reference Bureau, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the Population Council, and the RAND Corporation. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
Maureen Goodenow Appointed NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research
On May 18, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins announced the selection of Maureen M. Goodenow as NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR). Goodenow, currently at the University of Florida, Gainesville, is a professor of pathology, immunology, and laboratory medicine, and the Director of the Florida Center for AIDS Research. She is expected to join the agency in July. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIMH Seeks Perspectives on the State of Mental Illness Research
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is inviting “perspectives on the state of mental illness research” and the institute’s role in development of the research. The institute is seeking the input of the extramural community to “develop briefing materials that represent the full diversity of perspectives on mental illness research in preparation for the next NIMH director.” Comments are solicited on such topics as: basic neuroscience, translational, intervention, clinical, and services research; Research Domain criteria initiative (RDoc), global mental health, diversity and training of the workforce; advocacy and outreach efforts; and translational…
NIGMS Solicits Input on Approaches for Supporting Team Science
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking input “on team-based scientific research and the manner in which this activity could be supported by the Institute.” Accordingly, NIGMS has issued a request for information (RFI), Approaches for Supporting Team Science in the Biomedical Research Community (NOT-GM-16-107), to assist it in “considering needs and opportunities in team science at the multi-investigator, institutional, regional, and national level.” The Institute plans to examine the “benefits and challenges of team science and is considering how to best support this mode of scientific research.” The RFI…
NIA Webinar to Provide Overview of Grants Process
The National Institute of Aging (NIA) recently announced that the institute will host an “NIH 101” webinar explaining the NIH’s grants process to interested researchers. Chyren Hunter, deputy director of NIA’s Division of Extramural Activities and NIA training officer will present the June 14 webinar. Hunter is expected to explain each step of the application and review process. The webinar is part of a series sponsored by the NIA’s Office of Special Populations. The registration form is available here. Back to this issue’s table of contents.
NIH Appoints Director of National Library of Medicine
On May 11, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins announced the appointment of Patricia Flatly Brennan as the new director of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The Lillian L. Moehlman Bascom Professor at the School of Nursing and College of Engineering, Brennan comes to the NIH from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she leads the Living Environments Laboratory at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. A pioneer in the development of information systems for patients, she developed ComputerLink, “an electronic network designed to reduce isolation and improve self-care among home care patients.” Brennan is expected to join the…
Office of AIDS Research Issues RFI on Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) recently issued a request-for-information (RFI) (NOT-OD-16-089) seeking input on the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research. The 2018 Plan is “designed to identify and articulate possible future directions to maximize benefits of investments in HIV/AIDS research.” In August 2015, NIH issued “new overarching priorities” for the next three to five years for HIV/AIDS research in a Notice, NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining AIDS Funding (NOT-OD-15-137). The Notice also outlined guidelines the agency…
NIMHD Accepting Applications for Health Disparities Research Institute
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking applicants to its Summer Institute on Health Disparities Science. The Institute which will be held on the NIH campus from August 15-19, 2016, is designed to “support the development of individual research projects by promising scientists early in their careers and … stimulate research in the disciplines supported by science on minority health and health disparities.” The course includes lectures, seminars, and small group discussions on research relevant to minority health and health disparities along with sessions by NIH scientific staff…