Excerpt

In report language accompanying the FY 2001 appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Congress directed National Institutes of Health (NIH) to have the National Academy of Sciences study “whether the current structure and organization of NIH are optimally configured for the scientific needs of the twenty-first century.”

In response to the congressional request, the goal of this study was to determine the optimal NIH organizational structure, given the context of 21st century biomedical research. The following specific questions were to be addressed: 1. Are there general principles by which NIH should be organized? 2. Does the current structure reflect these principles, or should NIH be restructured? 3. If restructuring is recommended, what should the new structure be? 4. How will the proposed new structure improve NIH’s ability to conduct biomedical research and training, and accommodate organizational growth in the future? 5. How would the proposed new structure overcome current weaknesses, and what new problems might it introduce?

Contents

• The National Academies
• Committee on the Organizational Structure of the National Institutes of Health
• Board on Life Sciences
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Executive Summary
  • CONGRESSIONAL REQUEST
  • STATEMENT OF TASK
  • THE COMMITTEE'S RESPONSE TO ITS CHARGE
  • CENTRALIZATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS
  • ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF NIH
  • ENHANCING NIH'S ABILITY TO RESPOND TO NEW CHALLENGES
  • ACCOUNTABILITY, ADMINISTRATION, AND LEADERSHIP
• 1. Introduction
  • ONE IMPETUS FOR THIS REPORT
  • CONGRESSIONAL REQUEST AND STATEMENT OF TASK
  • THE COMMITTEE'S RESPONSE TO ITS CHARGE
  • GENERAL PRINCIPLES BY WHICH NIH SHOULD BE ORGANIZED
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
  • SUMMARY
• 2. The Evolution of NIH's Organizational Structure
  • INSTITUTES
  • CENTERS
  • OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
  • THE BUDGET PROCESS
  • ADVISORY COMMITTEES
  • PEER REVIEW SYSTEM
  • HISTORICAL FORCES BEHIND ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLEXITY
  • NIH AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
  • NIH'S LOCATION IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
  • SUMMARY
• 3. New Opportunities, New Challenges: The Changing Nature of Biomedical Science
  • CLINICAL RESEARCH NEEDS
  • Evidence-Based Medicine and Health Services Research
  • INCREASING URGENCY IN SOME FIELDS OF RESEARCH
  • ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES
  • THE GROWTH OF LARGE-SCALE AND DISCOVERY-DRIVEN SCIENCE
  • The Human Genome Project: An Important Additional Paradigm in Basic Biology
  • The Mounting Importance of Biocomputing, Bioinformatics, and Clinical Informatics
  • Other Large-Scale and Trans-NIH Science Initiatives
  • NEW RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS: PATIENT DATABASES AND SPECIMEN BANKS
  • THE GROWING NEED FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
  • TRENDS IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE SECTOR RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION
  • INCREASING INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
  • SUMMARY
• 4. The Organizational Structure of the National Institutes of Health
  • PROCESS FOR CREATING NEW UNITS OR DISSOLVING OR CONSOLIDATING EXISTING UNITS
  • OPPORTUNITIES FOR MERGERS
  • A Proposed Merger of NIAAA and NIDA
  • A Proposed Merger of NHGRI and NIGMS
  • Consolidating Clinical Research Efforts
  • SUMMARY
• 5. Enhancing NIH's Ability to Respond to New Challenges
  • THE AUTHORITIES OF THE DIRECTOR AND TRANS-NIH INITIATIVES
  • The Authorities of the Director
  • Strategic Planning for Trans-NIH Initiatives
  • THE STRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
  • FOSTERING HIGH-RISK, HIGH POTENTIAL PAYOFF RESEARCH
  • THE INTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
  • SUMMARY
• 6. Accountability, Administration, and Leadership
  • ANNUAL MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
  • The Budget Process: Congressional Justification
  • The New Approach to the Government Performance and Results Act
  • COUNCIL OF PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVES
  • CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVING PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
  • DATA GATHERING AND REPORTING
  • BUILDING ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH LEADERSHIP
  • THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES
  • RESEARCH MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
  • SUMMARY
• 7. Putting Principles into Practice
  • POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • SUMMARY
• References
• Appendixes
  • A Sources of Information Provided to the Committee
  • B Acronyms and Abbreviations
  • C Committee Member Biographies

This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. N01-OD-4-2139 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.