IC Directors’ Meeting Highlights — Thursday, February 8, 2018

Announcements

Dr. Collins provided brief remarks regarding the potential lapse in funding and Federal government shutdown.  Dr. Collins also provided information on NIH’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety on NIH’s campus, a summary from his trip to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland (January 23-26, 2018); information from his weekly meeting with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Azar; and a summary of the Clinical Center Research Hospital Board Meeting (February 2, 2018). 

Reconstituting the NIH Coordinating Committee on Research on Women's Health (CCRWH)

Dr. Collins and Dr. Janine Clayton, Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, provided information on reconstituting NIH’s CCRWH.  CCRWH support includes:

• Serving as a resource for women's health activities across the NIH
• Supporting methods to gather data by age and ethnic/racial groups of women's participation in clinical trials
• Supporting the development and expansion of clinical trials necessary to the health of women
• Encouraging and supporting research on women's health
• Identifying needs regarding the coordination of research activities, including intramural and extramural multidisciplinary activities

Planning for a NIH-wide pain initiative

Dr. Collins and Dr. Larry Tabak, Principal Deputy Director of NIH, presented on NIH’s plan to help address the Nation’s opioid crisis.  This included a brief outline of NIH’s current efforts, including: 1) preventing, treating, and understanding the consequences of opioid use and overdose; and 2) enhancing options for pain management through the development of novel drugs and non-pharmacological treatments and dissemination of best practices.

Update:  Hiring

Dr. Larry Tabak and Dr. Alfred Johnson, Deputy Director, Office of Management, provided a summary on hiring updates that will align with the ReImagine/Optimize NIH efforts. 

Common Fund Programs

Dr. Jim Anderson, Deputy Director, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, and Dr. Betsy Wilder, Director, Office of Strategic Coordination, presented on opportunities for expanding existing Common Fund programs in FY 2020.