Chairs of the Boards of Scientific Counselors

The primary responsibility of the Boards of Scientific Counselors (BSC) is to evaluate and assess the quality of research being conducted within the Laboratory/Branch/Independent Section under review, the accomplishments of the individual scientists, and the leadership of the Laboratory/Branch Chief. Every intramural scientist with independent resources (tenured, tenure track, senior clinician/scientist, some adjunct investigators) must be reviewed and evaluated.

Based on their review, the Boards of Scientific Counselors should provide evaluation and advice on the overall scientific directions of the program and new directions that could be considered, administration of the program, allocation of resources, and tenure actions under consideration.

Composition of Boards

Boards consist of outside experts with scientific qualifications to serve as authorities in the fields under review; Board members serve terms of up to five years. Eligibility for Board of Scientific Counselors membership is governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, in accordance with DHHS and NIH policy. Members will be asked to provide proof of citizenship and to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE 450. Further information regarding eligibility requirements is available from the NIH Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy.

Frequency of Board Meetings

Boards must meet with sufficient regularity to ensure that each intramural scientist with independent resources is reviewed at least once every four years. In most Institutes, meetings are held two to three times a year.

Review Meetings

At the discretion of the Scientific Director, the review of each Laboratory/Branch/Independent Section is conducted either during a regular meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors or by a site visit team. In Institutes where the entire Board reviews each Laboratory/Branch/Independent Section, ad hoc consultants participate in the meeting and assist in the evaluation to assure necessary expertise. Ad hoc consultants are selected by the Chair of the Board, with the advice of the Scientific Director, the Institute or Center Director, and other Board members; not more than one-half of the participants at a regular Board meeting may be ad hoc consultants. Ad hoc consultants provide individual advice but do not vote. In Institutes in which reviews of each individual Laboratory/Branch/Independent Section are conducted by site visit, at least two regular Board members must be present, in addition to the ad hoc consultants. The site visit report is forwarded to the Board for a vote by BSC members.

• Policies and Procedures to Guide Boards of Scientific Counselors in Reviewing Intramural Research at the NIH