[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 695 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 695

 Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the National Institutes of Health 
Office of Research on Women's Health and the continuing leadership and 
    achievements of the Office on Women's Health in conducting and 
       supporting biomedical research to improve women's health.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 6, 2010

  Ms. Mikulski (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Stabenow, and Mrs. Boxer) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the National Institutes of Health 
Office of Research on Women's Health and the continuing leadership and 
    achievements of the Office on Women's Health in conducting and 
       supporting biomedical research to improve women's health.

Whereas the National Institutes of Health (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``NIH'') Office of Research on Women's Health (referred to in this 
        preamble as the ``ORWH'') is a leader in the national commitment to 
        research, research training, and science-based education programs on 
        women's health and sex differences research;
Whereas the ORWH was originally established in 1990 in response to 
        congressional, scientific, and advocacy concerns regarding the lack of 
        systemic and consistent inclusion of women in NIH-funded clinical 
        research and the lack of scientific data and information regarding 
        women's health;
Whereas the ORWH has made significant progress in developing and implementing 
        policies to ensure the inclusion of women in NIH clinical research and, 
        in this manner, has encouraged the increased reporting in scientific 
        literature of sex- and gender-related factors in health and clinical 
        trial analysis;
Whereas the ORWH initiated the ``Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in 
        Women's Health'' program in 1999 and has supported the career 
        development and advancement of approximately 400 early-stage research 
        scientists to become independent researchers and obtain academic 
        promotions at major research institutions throughout the United States;
Whereas the ORWH initiated the ``Specialized Centers of Research on Sex and 
        Gender Factors Affecting Women's Health'' program in 2002 to support 
        interdisciplinary and sex differences research, including basic, 
        translational, and clinical investigations, by accomplished scientists;
Whereas in 2009, the scientists participating in the ``Specialized Centers of 
        Research on Sex and Gender Factors Affecting Women's Health'' program 
        published 116 journal articles, 176 abstracts, and 63 other 
        publications;
Whereas the ORWH collaborates with NIH Institutes and Centers to support basic, 
        clinical, population, and translational research in laboratory, 
        clinical, and community settings throughout the United States;
Whereas the ORWH pursues research efforts to benefit all individuals burdened by 
        diseases and disorders that are within the scope of the mission of the 
        ORWH, including men, women, older and younger adults, children, minority 
        populations who are disproportionately affected by certain diseases, 
        people from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds, and other 
        understudied or underrepresented populations;
Whereas ORWH-supported research has dramatically increased vital understanding 
        of sex differences research, from single cells to multiple biological 
        systems and mechanisms, and has prompted sex differences research in the 
        fields of endocrinology, immunology, epigenetics, systems biology, and 
        neuroscience, as well as in new technology-enabled fields such as 
        genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics;
Whereas research conducted and supported by the ORWH has been instrumental in 
        revolutionizing policies, research, and programs focusing on the health, 
        prevention, diagnostic, and treatment strategies for girls, women, and 
        their families, leading to remarkable improvements in health and quality 
        of life;
Whereas the ORWH sponsors education and outreach programs, with materials 
        tailored for diverse audiences, to improve women's health by 
        disseminating science-based information to women and their families, 
        those at risk for disease, health care educators, and the general 
        public;
Whereas the ORWH has initiated or participated in collaborative and coordinated 
        research efforts and science-based public education programs in order to 
        maximize the Federal investment in research and synergize expertise 
        across the NIH, with other Federal agencies, and with public and private 
        organizations;
Whereas the ORWH has a farsighted research agenda for the next decade entitled 
        ``Moving Into the Future With New Dimensions and Strategies: A Vision 
        for 2020 for Women's Health Research'' that is based on the culmination 
        of a 2-year strategic planning process, involving more than 1,500 
        leading scientists, advocates for women's health, public policy experts, 
        health care providers, Federal, State, and local elected officials, and 
        the general public in 5 regional scientific meetings;
Whereas the ORWH research agenda is visionary and addresses the 6 major goals 
        of--

    (1) increasing the study of sex differences in basic research studies;

    (2) incorporating findings of sex differences in the design and 
application of new technologies, medical devices, and therapeutic drugs;

    (3) actualizing personalized prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics 
for girls and women;

    (4) creating strategic alliances and partnerships in order to maximize 
the national and international impact of research on women's health;

    (5) developing and implementing new communication and social networking 
technologies to increase understanding and appreciation of research on 
women's health; and

    (6) employing innovative strategies to build a well-trained, diverse, 
and vibrant women's health research workforce; and

Whereas ORWH-supported initiatives and programs continue to make strides in 
        addressing the expanded concepts of women's health across the entire 
        lifespan of a woman, while continuing to explore understudied areas of 
        reproductive health and the menopausal transition, developing distinct 
        research career paths for investigators in women's health, sex 
        differences, and interdisciplinary research, increasing the number of 
        investigator-initiated women's health research studies in areas such as 
        cardiovascular disease and stroke, musculoskeletal and immune disorders, 
        and mental health and substance abuse, and increasing the scientific 
        knowledge on the health, diseases, disorders, and conditions that affect 
        diverse populations of women: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the 20th anniversary of the National 
        Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women's Health 
        (referred to in this resolution as the ``ORWH'');
            (2) commends the ORWH for its leadership in women's health 
        research, research training, and science-based education 
        programs;
            (3) recognizes ORWH-supported scientists whose studies have 
        improved women's health and whose research continues to yield 
        promising discoveries;
            (4) recognizes the volunteers who participate in clinical 
        studies and the patient and professional health organizations 
        that contribute to the shared research goals of preventing, 
        treating, and curing the diseases and disorders within the 
        scope of the mission of the ORWH; and
            (5) reaffirms the support of the Senate for the ORWH and 
        the continued commitment of the ORWH to carrying out research 
        to improve women's health.
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