Freedom of Information Act Office
IC Directors' Meeting Highlights
February 27, 2002
| To: | IC Directors |
| From: | Director, Executive Secretariat |
| Subject: | IC Directors Meeting Highlights—February 21, 2002 |
I. General Issues Regarding Appropriations Hearings
Dr. Kirschstein's office is in the process of scheduling planning meetings for each of the individual panels; the first one took place immediately following this meeting. She has written an opening statement that will serve as a template for each panel. The group decided that only those ICs that are part of a given panel will submit bullets for that panel.
II. Information Items
Dr. Hodes raised the issue of the NIBIB working group's conclusions about what grants it proposes to recommend for transfer from each of the ICs to NIBIB. There has been e-mail about this among IC Directors, who assumed that Dr. Kirschstein was on the IC Directors e-mail list and therefore would have seen their e-mails. Mr. Graeff will add Dr. Kirschstein to that list. As required by the conference language that created NIBIB, the working group has stated uniform criteria (in accord with the NIBIB mission statement) to use in determining which existing grants should be recommended for transfer to NIBIB from the other ICs. Dr. Dean sent IC Directors the criteria on February 19 for their information. Using those criteria, the working group is developing a tentative list of individual grants proposed for transfer. Dr. Kirschstein clarified that she hopes to receive from the working group by March 31 the final list of those grants it recommends transferring to NIBIB. Dr. Kirschstein must then report to Congress on NIH's planned actions. The group agreed that the central issue is the criteria the working group is using. Within the next few days, the IC Directors will e-mail Dr. Kirschstein a consensus position that she can use to express their concerns to the working group. IC Directors suggested that Dr. Kirschstein begin with NIBIB's mission statement and point out their concerns that the criteria the working group developed are in conflict with the mission statement.
In response to a question, Dr. Baldwin clarified that the human subjects protection enhancement RFA has been changed to one year.
Dr. Olden asked IC Directors to let him know of any new activities they are doing related to the environment and human health at ground zero in New York City. He will send IC Directors an e-mail with additional details.
Dr. Straus distributed a memo to IC Directors in which he solicited their feedback on the report of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Included with the memo was the summary of the Commission's 25 major recommendations and the several dozen proposed actions. One of the recommendations most worthy of IC Directors' attention calls for establishment of a Department-level coordinating office. Dr. Straus also asked IC Directors to send him a list of currently funded research grants that contain a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) component as reported to Congress for FY01. Dr. Kirschstein noted that the IOM is doing a study on CAM. Dr. Straus will get back to the IC Directors with further information and comments regarding the proposed IOM study.
Dr. Skirboll thanked the IC Directors for their comments on the research areas of emphasis developed by the Research Coordination Council (RCC), on which she represents NIH. She and Dr. Kirschstein will attend a meeting of the RCC on March 12.
Mr. Graeff commented that a Department-wide consolidation of IT services is still an ongoing issue. He is redrafting the Secretary's five-year IT plan, which calls for an IT inventory. Mr. Graeff is trying to separate computational science from IT infrastructure. He asked IC Directors to work with him in consolidating infrastructure, such as telephones and e-mail.
Dr. Spiegel mentioned the press conference with the Secretary that was held on Tuesday to highlight the connection between diabetes and heart disease. A survey by the ADA said diabetes patients are not aware of this connection.
Dr. Rabson said the Secretary is holding a press conference on mammography today. The NCI continues to recommend screening mammograms, beginning at age 40. NCI is also trying to develop better screening methods.
Karen Pelham O'Steen
cc: OD Staff
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