The NIH Almanac
Office of the Director, NIH
The NIH comprises the Office of the Director and 27 Institutes and Centers. The Office of the Director (OD) is the central office at NIH. The OD is responsible for setting policy for NIH and for planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all the NIH components.
The NIH Director provides overall leadership to NIH activities in both scientific and administrative matters. Although each institute within the NIH has a separate mission, the NIH Director plays an active role in shaping the agency's research agenda and outlook. With a unique and critical perspective on the mission of the entire NIH, the Director is responsible for providing leadership to the institutes for identifying needs and opportunities, especially for efforts that involve several institutes. The NIH Director is assisted by the Principal Deputy Director, who shares in the overall direction of the agency's activities.
In carrying out these responsibilities, the NIH Director stays informed about program priorities and accomplishments through regular staff meetings, discussions, and briefing sessions with OD and institute staff. The Director also receives input from:
- the extramural scientific community, including both individual researchers and scientific organizations
- patient advocacy and voluntary health groups that deal directly with NIH or indirectly through Congress and the media
- the Congress, the Administration, and the Director's Council of Public Representatives, which brings public views to NIH.
Ongoing discussions with these groups and others provide the basis for an established framework within which priorities for the agency are identified, reviewed, and justified.
The following describes the major offices in within the NIH Office of the Director:
Research, Funding, and Coordination
The Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) was created by the NIH Reform Act of 2006 and provides leadership for identifying, reporting, and funding of trans-NIH research that represents important areas of emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or knowledge gaps that merit further research and would benefit from collaboration between two or more NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), or from strategic coordination and planning. The Division coordinates and oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a series of trans-NIH programs that are supported by the NIH Common Fund. These catalytic programs help support research throughout the biomedical community by providing enabling technologies, services, and programs; developing essential tools and methodologies; and fostering innovation through high risk/high reward programs. DPCPSI includes major programmatic offices that coordinate research and activities related to AIDS, behavioral and social sciences, women’s health, disease prevention, dietary supplements, research infrastructure, and science education.
DPCPSI is responsible for developing new approaches to analyze the NIH research portfolio and the development and use of informatics tools for this purpose. The Division also manages NIH-wide evaluation and performance assessment activities, including coordination and preparation of plans and reports required by the Government Performance and Results Act. The Division includes the following Offices:
Program Offices
- Office of AIDS Research (OAR) — The OAR plans, coordinates, evaluates, and budgets the NIH AIDS research program, which is carried out by nearly all of the NIH Institutes and Centers. Through its annual trans-NIH planning, budgeting, and portfolio analysis processes, OAR identifies the highest priority areas of scientific opportunity, enhances collaboration, minimizes duplication, and ensures that research dollars are invested effectively. OAR identifies emerging scientific areas that require focused attention; manages and facilitates multi-Institute and trans-Institute activities to address those needs; fosters research by designating funds and supplements to jump-start or pilot program areas; sponsors reviews or evaluations of research program areas; facilitates international AIDS research and training; and supports domestic and international initiatives to enhance dissemination of research findings to researchers, physicians, institutions, communities, constituency groups, and patients.
- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)— The OBSSR furthers the mission of NIH by emphasizing the critical role that behavioral and social factors play in health, health care, and well-being. Established by the U.S. Congress as part of the NIH Office of the Director, its mission is to stimulate behavioral and social sciences research throughout NIH and to integrate it more fully into the NIH research enterprise.
- Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) — The mission of the ODP is to work with NIH Institutes and Centers and other Federal and non-Federal partners to provide leadership for the development, coordination, and implementation of activities to increase the scope, support, public health impact, and dissemination of health promotion and disease prevention research supported by the NIH. The Office leads the NIH Prevention Research Coordinating Committee (PRCC), which serves as a venue for exchanging information and making recommendations related to scientific, programmatic, and policy issues. The ODP accomplishes its mission in collaboration with the PRCC and by participating in disease prevention and health promotion activities, including those associated with the US Preventive Services Task Force, the Community Preventive Services Task Force, Healthy People 2020, and the National Prevention Strategy. The ODP also oversees the Tobacco Regulatory Science Program, a trans-NIH collaborative effort with the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products to conduct research to support regulatory activities for tobacco products. The Office coordinates a variety of training and education programs and engages in evidence assessment activities to address controversial medical issues important to healthcare providers, patients, policymakers, and the general public. Additionally, the ODP provides timely, accurate information about health promotion and disease prevention research, programs, and activities to a wide variety of audiences using multi-media tactics.
- Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) — The mission of ODS is to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population. ODS co-funds research on dietary supplements and sponsors systematic reviews and projects to enhance the incorporation of these reviews into nutrition research. ODS provides accurate and up-to-date scientific information about dietary supplements.
- Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) — The ORIP provides the research infrastructure and programs to ensure NIH effectively addresses and coordinates important areas of emerging scientific opportunities. The trans-NIH nature of ORIP includes coordinating research, training, and science education efforts to advance medical research in all disease areas across basic, translational, and clinical research. ORIP supports programs that offer access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, develops and provides access to critical animal models, trains veterinary scientists to become partners in research, funds research facilities improvement projects, and supports comprehensive science education efforts to improve science literacy in adults and children.
- Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) — The ORWH promotes women’s health and sex differences research within and beyond the NIH. Since its creation by NIH in 1990, ORWH has worked to ensure that women and minorities are included in NIH-supported clinical research--research that ultimately benefits women’s health. ORWH establishes the NIH strategic plan for research on women’s health and, in partnership with NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), co-funds research on the role of sex and gender in health and disease. ORWH’ mission also extends to career support for women and men in biomedical careers and women’s health research. ORWH leads the effort to monitor adherence to NIH’s inclusion policies, in collaboration with NIH ICs, the NIH Office of Extramural Research, and the NIH Office of Intramural Research.
- Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) — The OSC coordinates The NIH Common Fund. The Common Fund was enacted into law by Congress through the 2006 NIH Reform Act to support cross-cutting, trans-NIH programs that require participation by at least two NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs) or would otherwise benefit from strategic planning and coordination. The requirements for the Common Fund encourage collaboration across the ICs while providing the NIH with flexibility to determine priorities for Common Fund support. To date, the Common Fund has been used to support a series of short term, exceptionally high impact, trans-NIH programs. The intent of NIH Common Fund programs is to provide a strategic and nimble approach to address key roadblocks in biomedical research that impede basic scientific discovery and its translation into improved human health. In addition, these programs capitalize on emerging opportunities to catalyze the rate of progress across multiple biomedical fields. Common Fund programs are expected to transform the way a broad spectrum of health research is conducted. Initiatives that comprise Common Fund programs are intended to be catalytic in nature by providing limited term investments (up to 10 fiscal years) in strategic areas to stimulate further research through IC-funded mechanisms.
Staff Offices
- Office of Portfolio Analysis (OPA) — The OPA analyzes data on NIH-supported research to inform trans-NIH planning and coordination; uses databases, analytic tools, methodologies and other resources to conduct assessments in support of portfolio analyses and priority setting in scientific areas of interest across NIH; researches and develops new analytic tools, and support systems to enhance the management of the NIH’s scientific portfolio; and provides in coordination with other NIH organizations, training on portfolio analysis tools, procedures, and methodology.
- Office of Program Evaluation and Performance (OPEP) — The OPEP plans, conducts, coordinates, and supports program evaluations, including IC-specific program and project evaluations and trans-NIH evaluations; manages and administers NIH’s Evaluation Set-Aside Program; coordinates the preparation of plans and reports required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), and identifies and advises on emerging issues that have implications for program evaluation and performance reporting for the NIH.
Office of Extramural Research (OER)
The Office of Extramural Research provides the corporate framework
for the NIH research administration and works to ensure the scientific
integrity, public accountability, and effective stewardship of
the NIH research grant portfolio.
Office of Intramural Research (OIR)
The Office of Intramural Research is responsible for oversight and coordination of intramural research, training, and technology transfer conducted internally within the federal laboratories and clinics of the National Institutes of Health. Comprising approximately 10% of the NIH budget, the intramural research program, spread across 24 NIH institutes and centers, includes the NIH Clinical Center research hospital and the National Library of Medicine. The program supports approximately 1,100 principal investigators and 7,500 scientific staff.
Communications
Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL)
The Office of Communications and Public Liaison advises the Director
and communicates information about NIH policies, programs, and
research results to the general public. OCPL also encourages
broad national public participation in NIH activities, helps
to resolve local community concerns, and coordinates how NIH
implements the Freedom of Information Act.
Policy
Office of Science Policy (OSP)
The Office of Science Policy advises the NIH Director on science
policy issues affecting the medical research community; participates
in the development of new policy and program initiatives; monitors
and coordinates agency planning and evaluation activities; plans
and implements a comprehensive science education program; and
develops and implements NIH policies and procedures for the safe
conduct of recombinant DNA activities.
Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis (OLPA)
The Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis serves as the principal
legislative policy, analysis, and development office for the
Director and other senior NIH staff; develops legislative policy
and proposals; and provides analysis and liaison with Congress,
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other Federal
agencies on issues affecting NIH programs and activities.
Administration and Services
Executive Office (ODEO)
The Executive Office serves in both a staff and an operational
capacity for all administrative management activities for the Office
of the Director (OD), excluding the Office of Research Services.
NIH Ethics Office
The NIH Ethics Office provides oversight and strategic direction
of NIH activities relating to ethics policy, oversight, and operational
activities; develops and administers the NIH policies and procedures
for implementing the Government-wide conflict of interest statutes
and regulations, the HHS supplemental conflict of interest regulations,
and HHS policies; implements a program for trans-NIH ethics oversight
that includes information technology (IT) support systems, periodic
reviews, audits, delegations of authority, training, and records
management; determines real or potential conflicts of interest
and assesses ethical considerations in scientific reporting,
clinical trials, and scientific conferences and workshops; and
serves as the liaison and coordinates the NIH response to requests
from Congress, the Inspector General, HHS, and the Office of
Government Ethics, and performs appropriate liaison activities.
Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
The Office of the Chief Information Officer provides leadership
and management support to empower NIH Institutes and Centers
to acquire, manage and deliver IT solutions in ways that are
innovative, well planned, secure and fiscally responsible. In
this way, OCIO ensures that all Information and Information Technology
used by the NIH supports the business needs in the best possible
way.
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management
(OEODM)
The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management serves
as the focal point for NIH-wide policy formulation, implementation,
coordination, and management of the civil rights, equal opportunity,
affirmative employment, and workforce diversity programs of the
NIH.
Office of Management (OM)
The NIH Office of Management (OM) is located within the Office of the Director and is responsible for administrative and financial functions of the NIH. The OM advises the Director and Deputy Director, on all phases of NIH-wide administration and oversees NIH interactions with the Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Accounting Office. The OM includes the following offices:
- Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM)
OALM advises the NIH Director and staff on acquisition and logistics activities and contract and grant financial advisory services; provides leadership and guidance to NIH components on acquisition and logistics administration and management; and develops/implements policies, provides oversight, and manages the operational components in the areas of acquisition and logistics management. - Office of Budget (OB)
OB is the central NIH office responsible for budget policy, planning, analysis, formulation, justification, presentation, and execution of annual appropriations in concert with 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs). It operates as the NIH focal point for the interpretation, preparation, dissemination, and implementation of financial policies and procedures. OB advises the NIH Director on budgetary issues, and functions as the budget liaison with HHS, OMB, and Congress. - Office of Financial Management (OFM)
OFM provides central accounting and reporting for all financial transactions that originate from the 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs). OFM also provides overall direction and leadership to the ICs by establishing financial management policies and procedures and by providing oversight of the NIH Core Financial Management Systems. OFM is the focal point for audits, travel policy, central services funds management, and the general ledger. - Office of Human Resources (OHR)
OHR advises the NIH Director and staff on strategic and tactical human resource (HR) management; directs HR management services; provides NIH leadership and planning on Human Capital program development, salary administration, corporate recruitment, employee and management development; conducts studies and makes recommendations for new or redirected HR efforts, programs, and policies; and supports HR information systems. - Office of Management Assessment (OMA)
OMA provides expert advice to the Deputy Director for Management and other NIH leadership officials on program integrity, risk management, liaison with outside audit organizations, and management support systems. OMA implements NIH-wide programs in each of these areas to safeguard the assets and preserve the public trust in NIH, and to provide management systems that support administrative processes within the agency. - Office of Research Facilities Development and Operations (ORF) supports the advancement of NIH scientific and program priorities by planning, designing, constructing, managing, and maintaining state-of-the-science facilities critical to new and expanding research initiatives and the NIH mission. ORF is the single point of accountability for all NIH facility activities and is responsible for assisting the NIH Director with the formulation and execution of the Buildings and Facilities appropriation; developing and maintaining policies and standards governing the use of real property; planning and directing facility-related services such as master planning and construction, renovation, maintenance, and management of real property; providing centralized acquisition services for architecture, engineering, and construction contracting and for real property purchasing and leasing activities; and protecting the NIH environment.
- Office of Research Services (ORS) provides a comprehensive portfolio of services to support the biomedical research mission of the NIH. Some examples of the diverse services ORS provides include: laboratory safety, security and emergency response, veterinary resources, the NIH Library, events management, travel and transportation, services for foreign scientists, and programs to enrich and enhance the NIH worksite.
- Office of Strategic Planning for Administration (OSPA)
OSPA provides assistance to the NIH administrative management leadership with the development and implementation of strategic plans, programs, and support activities to achieve the long-term goals of the NIH mission. - NIH Business System
The NIH Business System (NBS) is the central electronic business system of the NIH including the general ledger, finance, budget, procurement, supply, travel, and property management systems. NBS is aimed at improving data consolidation and financial reporting capabilities.
Office of the Ombudsman/Center for Cooperative Resolution
The NIH Office of the Ombudsman, Center for Cooperative Resolution
provides the NIH community with confidential and informal assistance
in resolving work-related conflicts, disputes and grievances;
promotes fair and equitable treatment within NIH; offers effective,
efficient and innovative dispute resolution services; helps people
use non-adversarial approaches in resolving disputes; and works
toward improving the overall quality of worklife at NIH.
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