Purpose

The Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE), within the NIH Office of Intramural Research (OIR), is responsible for providing an NIH-wide infrastructure of support services and broad oversight of trainees in the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP). The NIH IRP offers training programs for high school and college students, recent college graduates, graduate students, professional students, and postdoctoral and clinical fellows. The OITE Steering Committee is a group appointed by the NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) to provide advice about all aspects of OITE's operation and programs to: (1) the DDIR; (2) the OITE Director; and (3) all NIH Scientific Directors.

Function

The OITE Steering Committee is responsible for monitoring a broad set of issues related to intramural training programs and intramural trainee experiences at the NIH, with particular emphasis on those components supported or overseen by OITE. The Committee will review and suggest updates to existing policies and/or propose new policies and procedures to ensure high-quality experiences for all trainees.

Specifically, the Committee will:

1) provide input about all OITE goals and programs;

2) review the OITE budget and determine that program goals and efforts match resources (budget and personnel) to ensure a successful OITE operation;

3) identify potential gaps in the OITE programs, assist in development of programs to meet the apparent needs, and recommend priorities for implementation;

4) provide advice about all NIH training programs that are under OITE's general oversight;

5) provide oversight of the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP), including recommending policies and standards for both OITE GPP and IC-specific programs and overseeing periodic reviews of each program;

6) report as needed to constituency groups (i.e., Board of Scientific Directors and Intramural Working Group).

Structure

The OITE Steering Committee will be comprised of at least eleven (11) members from the scientific and training communities at NIH, who will be appointed by the DDIR (or his/her designee). In making the appointments, the DDIR will take into consideration IC size and ensure that representation is appropriate. The composition will be as follows:

1) IC Scientific Director or Deputy Scientific Director (8), one of which will be designated as Committee Chair

2) OIR Staff (2), including Management Liaison and Assistant Director (ex officio)

3) DER representative with training program expertise (1) (ex officio)

4) Others added on an ad hoc basis

Members will serve in overlapping 3-year terms, except for OIR staff members (who will have permanent membership on the Committee). A Committee member may request to extend his/her term, subject to DDIR approval, and continue as a voting member until his/her replacement is identified. The Chair will serve a 3-year term; at the end of his/her term, the DDIR will appoint a new Chair from among the Committee members.

The OITE Director, while not a member of the Committee, will attend Committee meetings on an ad hoc basis and work closely with the Committee Chair to schedule the meetings, establish agendas, and pursue appropriate follow-up actions.

Meetings

The Committee will aim to convene on the 4th Thursday of each month and additionally as needed. Meeting times, location, and other logistics will be arranged by OITE staff. The OITE Deputy Director will attend all meetings and will distribute notes/minutes for committee members to review and revise if necessary.

Quorum

A quorum will be constituted by a simple majority of the membership.

Decision Making Process

Committee decisions will generally be made through consensus; if consensus cannot be met, each member will have one vote, with a simple majority required to carry a decision. All votes will be recorded, with the number of attendees and the numbers voting both for and against a measure, and reported in the minutes. Committee decisions/recommendations will be drafted by the OITE Deputy Director and sent to the Chair for review within one week of the meeting date. The Chair will then verify the draft and forward the recommendations to the DDIR.

Charter Modifications

The OITE Steering Committee will review this charter annually, with necessary changes being recommended to the DDIR using the decision-making process outlined above. The Committee will continue until dissolved by the DDIR.