The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

Digestive Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee (DDICC) Description

The Digestive Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee (DDICC) is charged with facilitating cooperation and collaboration in research efforts in digestive diseases among NIH Institutes and other relevant Federal health agencies to provide a structure for coordinated efforts to combat digestive diseases. The Committee also prepares reports on the status of digestive disease research funding as well as needs for future research in specific areas of digestive diseases. The Committee meets at least four times a year to encourage exchange of information among member organizations and develop common initiatives. The committee is chaired by the Director of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, NIDDK, but includes members from multiple Institutes as well as Federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Generally, each meeting focuses upon a specific area of digestive disease research. One or more invited speakers provide an overview and update on research in the area, and Committee members are asked to report on the status of their Institute research portfolio and research initiatives in the specific area. Meetings are focused upon areas for future initiatives that might be shared by the member institutions. Minutes of the meetings are taken and made available on the DDICC website. The DDICC prepares a yearly summary of digestive disease research funding by the NIH. This Committee continues as a lead source of information on government-wide activities and support of digestive diseases research for other concerned governmental and non-governmental individuals and groups.

As of June 2003, the Liver Diseases Interagency Coordinating Subcommittee (LDICS) was created as a subcommittee of the DDICC. The LDICS will conduct at least two meetings yearly and provide coordination for NIH and Federal initiatives in liver disease research. The LDICS meetings are chaired by the Director of the Liver Disease Research Branch. A focus of the LDICS is to prepare and update an Action Plan in Liver Disease Research, to monitor research progress, and to prepare yearly summaries of liver disease research funding by the NIH.