News Release

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Submit your visionary ideas about environmental health research

Strategic planning process begins at NIEHS.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is seeking input from the public as well as researchers for its new strategic plan. To get involved, submit an idea for research or nominate a workshop participant.

"We are looking for visionary ideas to help define the institute's future directions, research goals, and resource priorities," said NIEHS Deputy Director Richard Woychik, Ph.D., who is leading the strategic planning effort.

The NIEHS is the nation's leading federal biomedical agency supporting research to discover how the environment influences health. It's part of the National Institutes of Health.

Visionary ideas can be submitted through the Internet at http://strategicplan.niehs.nih.gov/. All submitted ideas will be posted to the Internet site, and anyone can comment on the ideas or give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down rating. The site also integrates with Facebook and Twitter. Submissions will be accepted through April 30, 2011.

Additionally, NIEHS is seeking nominations for a stakeholder community workshop in mid-July in Research Triangle Park, N. C. You can nominate yourself, a colleague or anyone who is passionate about research on our environment, and improving public health and preventing disease. Nominations can be made at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/strategicplan/nomination/index.cfm.

"This is an opportunity for everyone who cares about environmental health to have a voice in shaping the direction of our research," said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., NIEHS and National Toxicology Program director.

The public will have many opportunities to provide input and review throughout the 15-month strategic planning process. Visit http://www.niehs.nih.gov/strategicplan/ for more information about the process and timeline for establishing the new NIEHS strategic plan, or to review the existing 2005-2011 strategic plan.

The NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health. For more information on environmental health topics, visit www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists (www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/newslist/index.cfm) to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

###