Scientific Opportunities And Public Needs: Improving Priority Setting And Public Input At The National Institutes Of Health Improving Priority Setting And Public Input At The National Institutes Of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the single largest funder of health research in the United States, and research it has supported has been pivotal to the explosion of biomedical knowledge over the past century. As NIH's success has grown, so has pressure from advocacy groups and other members of the public to devote more spending to their health concerns. In response to a request from Congress, this IOM study reviewed NIH's research priority-setting process and made recommendations for possible improvement. The committee considered the: Factors and criteria used by NIH to make funding allocations. Process by which the funding decisions are made. Mechanisms for public input. Impact of congressional statutory directives on funding decisions. Among other recommendations, the book recommends that NIH seek broader public input on decisions about how to spend its nearly $14 billion budget; it also urged the agency to create new Offices of Public Liaison in the Office of the Director and in each of the 21 research institutes to allow interested people to formally take part in the process. Executive Summary -- Introduction -- Background -- Funding Allocation By Institute And Center -- Funding Allocation By Mechanism -- Funding Allocation By Type Of Research -- Funding Allocation By Disease -- Recent Trends And Issues -- Iom Committee Process -- Organization Of The Report -- Criteria For Priority Setting -- Why Criteria Are Important -- Nih's Criteria For Priority Setting -- Criterion 1. Public Health Needs -- Criterion 2. Quality Of Research Supported -- Criterion 3. Scientific Opportunity -- Criterion 4. Portfolio Diversification -- Criterion 5. Adequate Infrastructure Support -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Priority-setting Processes -- Priority Setting Through The Budget Process -- Nih Director's Role In Priority Setting -- Transfer Authority -- Discretionary Fund -- Nih Areas Of Research Emphasis -- Advisory Committee To The Director -- Priority Setting At The Institute Level -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Mechanisms For Public Input -- Public Input Into Priority Setting -- Recent Changes -- Two-way Communication Between Nih And The Public -- Conclusions And Recommendations -- Offices Of Public Liaison: Rationale, Roles, And Responsibilities -- Director's Council Of Public Representatives: Rationale, Roles, And Responsibities -- Policy And Program Advisory Group Membership -- Summary -- Congressional Role -- Congress And Nih -- How Congress Communicates Priorities -- Conclusions And Recommendations. Committee On The Nih Research Priority-setting Process, Health Sciences Policy Program, Health Sciences Section, Institute Of Medicine. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 81-83). Recommends that NIH seek broader public input on decisions about how to spend its nearly $14 billion budget. This book also urges the agency to create new Offices of Public Liaison in the Office of the Director and in each of the 21 research institutes to allow interested people to formally take part in the process.