Blue Ribbon Panel Reviews of IC Intramural Research Programs

The Report of the External Advisory Committee (EAC) on the Intramural Research Program (IRP) of NIH (April 11, 1994) strongly recommended that individual reviews of each intramural program be conducted. The NIH Director asked the Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) to continue with the Blue Ribbon Panel reviews. This is considered an opportunity to tap outside expertise to advise the NIH IRP on improvements, some of which may be difficult to achieve without outside support. (For more details, please review the SD Minutes for August 7, 1996, Item 5)

The charge to the Institute or Center (IC) Blue Ribbon Panels is to be given by the IC Director, with the reports addressed to the NIH Director, the Advisory Committee of the Director, and the IC Director. Panels have been asked to review the following trans-institute issues:

• Innovation/impact of research
• Basic organization of the intramural program. (Laboratory and branch structure)
• Effectiveness of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) review process.
• Optimal balance between clinical and lab-based research.
• Funding balance between intramural and extramural.
• Space/location issues. (Size of program and off-campus locations)
• Quality of post-doctoral training. (Career development)
• Recruitment issues. (Under-represented individuals and missing areas of expertise)
• Interactions with the Office of the Director, other institutes, central services (Office of Research Services, Clinical Center, Center for Information Technology) - special problems or opportunities.

Membership

Each panel will consist of the Chair of the BSC, a member of the IC’s National Advisory Council, a member of the Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH, and three or four other prominent scientists from relevant clinical and basic areas.

Meeting Schedule

Each panel will hold approximately four meetings – during the first meeting basic information will be exchanged; the second and third meetings are for interviews with IC intramural staff; and the fourth meeting will be to formulate proposals.