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Responding to Health Needs and Scientific Opportunity The Organizational Structure of the National Institutes of Health (1984) / Chapter Skim
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4 Ensuring a Manageable Structure for NIH
Pages 30-37

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From page 30...
... The institutes have become more autonomous, with their own congressional appropriations ant their own Specific conatituencica. The Symbiotic relationship that evolves in the late 19408 between NIH, the congressional committees overseeing it, ant outsits interest groups has tented to break up into a number of Smaller alliances, organized around more restricted areas of reaearch.32 In addition, since the late 19608, the Department of Health, Education, ant Welfare (ant now, Health ant Human Services)
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From page 31...
... There are no analogous special constituencies for the NIH Director, who has overall responsibility for the health of the entire NIH system. In order to balance the appropriate, but potentially destabilizing, centrifugal forces associated with the categorical institutes, there should be a strong central force to ensure coordination of crose-cutting research activities, to oversee orderly long-range evolution, and to maintain public accountability for NIH's overall program.
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From page 32...
... There was a considerable period of time during which the institutes, the NIH leaterahip, the Public Health Service, ant the Congress debated the appropriate financial response to the AIDS threat.35 Although Same scientists began research almost immediately on already existing grants, ant others Sent in new applications on their own, NIH wee Stow in formally responding with requests for applications.36 Episodes like this may be rare, but emergency transfer authority would be helpful in avoiding confusion ant ensuring a prompt ant appropriate response. NIH Policy and Planning Council The committee recommence: I
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From page 33...
... The council should elect its own chair, prep-are its own agenda, meet at least four times a year and whenever requested by the Director of NIH, be assigned its own staff and have a defined budget, and report annually to the Director of NIH. The present 16-member Director's Advisory Committee, appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and chaired by the Director, responds to specific requests from the Director, who also sets its agenda.
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From page 34...
... The committee proposes that the deputies for extramural research and intramural research be given line authority over the support activities related to their responsibilities, and that they continue to have staff authority to advise the Director on the coordination and direction of the research programs within the institutes. Such a reorganization could improve the Director' ~ capacity to manage, and free his time and attention from the day-to-day exigencies of bureaucratic life.
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From page 35...
... The following recommendations are intended to facilitate accountability, both to the scientific community and to the larger public, as well as to ensure a manageable structure for NIH. National Advisory Councils The committee recommends: Each institute should Provide its National AdvisorY Council members with full and easily understandable information on its entire Portfolio of currently funded grants and grant proposals; institute directors should more uniformly involve their advisory councils in broad program and · .
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From page 36...
... . The Boards of Scientific Counselors review and evaluate the intramural research programs for their respective inatitutea.
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From page 37...
... The perception by many, including members of Congress, that the scientific capacity of the advisory groups is being eroded points to a continuing problem for NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services. If the facts behind this perception are accurate, the situation is unacceptable.
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Key Terms

  • intramural research
  • extramural research
  • study sections
  • categorical institutes
  • scientific program

  • council membera
  • advisory councils
  • study section
  • individual institutes
  • manageable structure

  • support services
  • scientific advice
  • currently funded
  • human development
  • transfer authority

  • institute lines
  • grant proposals
  • entire portfolio
  • emergency transfer
  • intramural programs

  • direct access
  • scientific counselors
  • advisory role
  • informing membera
  • unnecessary duplication

  • committee eurne
  • own chair
  • own research
  • councils serve
  • public information


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