IC Directors’ Meeting Highlights — Thursday, November 9, 2017

Announcements

Dr. Collins provided a reminder of two events scheduled for November 9:  the 6^th annual Veterans’ Day Celebration and the 2017 Native American Heritage Month Lecture.

Inclusion Across the Lifespan

Dr. Marie Bernard, Deputy Director, National Institute on Aging, and Dr. Janine Clayton, Director, Office of Research on Women’s Health, presented on NIH’s new policy on Inclusion Across the Lifespan in research involving human subjects, which requires that applicants and grantees include individuals of all ages when conducting clinical research, unless there is a strong justification for their exclusion.  This new policy must be addressed in all grant applications submitted on/after January 25, 2019, and all responses to solicitations issued on/after this date.  Additional proposed policy changes include clarifying potentially acceptable reasons for excluding individuals based on age, as well as clarifying the expectation for clinical research studies to submit individual-level data on sex/gender, race, ethnicity, and age.

NIH’s Collaboration with AHRQ and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

Dr. David Murray, Associate Director for Prevention and Director, Office of Disease Prevention, and Dr. Quyen Ngo-Metzger, Scientific Director, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, provided an overview of the USPSTF.  The USPSTF is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine.  USPSTF makes evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services in primary care, such as screenings, counseling, and preventive medications.  AHRQ convenes the USPSTF and provides scientific, administrative, and dissemination support for it.  NIH uses this information to determine potential prevention research opportunities. 

Reimagine HHS Update

Dr. Larry Tabak, Principal Deputy Director, provided a brief update on NIH’s efforts for the ReImagine HHS initiative.  Optimize NIH will examine how to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the areas of ethics, committee management, and Freedom of Information Act activities.