[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66188-66190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31919]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health; Office of the Director; Notice of 
Call for Nominations for the Director's Council of Public 
Representatives

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal government's 
primary agency for supporting and conducting medical research leading 
to the improvement in the nation's health, has established a new 
national advisory council--the Director's Council of Public 
Representatives (COPR). The Chair of the COPR is the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health. This notice lays out a process for the

[[Page 66189]]

selection of members of the first COPR and seeks nominations.

Background

    On September 23, 1998, the NIH Director chaired a meeting on public 
participation in NIH activities (FR Doc. 98-24463 Filed 9-10-98; 8:45 
a.m.). At the meeting, 23 individual public participants invited by the 
NIH discussed future activities and responsibilities of the proposed 
NIH Director's Council of Public Representatives (COPR), which will 
serve as a forum for discussing issues and concerns and exchanging 
viewpoints that are important to NIH policies, programs, and research 
priorities. The individual participants at the meeting also discussed 
the processes, mechanisms, and criteria that should be used for 
identifying appropriate candidates to serve on the COPR. A notice about 
the creation of the COPR was published in the Federal Register on 
November 17, 1998 (FR Doc. 98-30695 Filed 11-16-98; 8:45 a.m.).
    The COPR will help bring to NIH the concerns and interests of the 
many external publics that have a stake in the agency's activities, 
programs, policies, and research. In addition to serving as a forum, 
the COPR will assist the NIH in enhancing the participation of the 
public in myriad NIH activities that have an impact upon the public, in 
increasing public understanding of the NIH and its programs, and in 
bringing important matters of public interest forward for discussion in 
public settings.
    The COPR will consist of up to 20 individuals who have an interest 
in the NIH's mission. The NIH will bring together these individuals 
from diverse backgrounds approximately twice each year, enabling them 
to interact directly with NIH leaders on a wide range of programs and 
issues. In addition to these two meetings annually, the COPR may 
suggest other activities, subject to approval by the Chair of the COPR, 
the Director of the NIH. Members of the first COPR will serve one, two, 
or three-year terms. In subsequent years, members will serve three-year 
terms.

Eligibility Requirements for Individual Members

    To serve on the COPR, an individual must meet the following minimum 
eligibility requirements:

 Have some interest in the work of the NIH, for example, as a 
patient or family member of a patient; a health care professional; a 
member of a patient advocacy group; an individual who works as a 
volunteer in the health field; a scientist or a student of science; a 
communicator in health, medicine, or science; an individual in public 
service, academia, or in a professional society touching the medical 
field. These examples are not meant to limit nominations to those 
listed--any member of the public with special interests in the NIH may 
be nominated or may nominate themselves.
 Be in a position (formally or informally) to communicate 
regularly with the broader public or segments of the public about the 
activities of the COPR and the NIH.

    Another essential requirement is a commitment to participating 
fully in activities of the COPR, including possibly in subcommittee 
activities that may take time in addition to meeting attendance. In 
addition, members--while participating in COPR activities--will have to 
agree to subordinate disease-specific or program-specific interests to 
broader, cross-cutting matters of importance to the NIH and its 
commitment to public representation. These additional requirements will 
not be used in the initial screening of nominees, but will be assessed 
as part of a more in-depth evaluation of qualified candidates.

A. Criteria for Evaluating Individual Candidates

    Nominees who meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be 
further assessed on the following criteria:
    1. Interest in NIH's research, programs, activities, and policies 
broadly, and some understanding of, or familiarity with, the NIH 
mission and medical science.
    2. Ability to communicate effectively.
    3. Ability to consider broad issues and think ``globally,'' beyond 
narrow personal or professional interests.
    4. Ability to contribute to an effective group process (e.g., 
cooperative, constructive, flexible, innovative).
    5. Leadership ability (members of the COPR are not required to hold 
a formal leadership position within any organized group, but must have 
leadership skills).
    6. Understanding of, and ability to express or represent, a 
``public'' view of issues.
    7. Ability to identify a problem, analyze it, and put forth 
solutions.

B. Characteristics of the COPR as a Group

    In addition to the criteria for individual candidates, the 
following characteristics of the COPR as a group are intended to ensure 
that it reflects the breadth and diversity of the publics interested in 
the NIH:
    1. Multi-cultural diversity.
    2. A broad spread across the various ``publics'' interested in the 
NIH (see examples cited in the minimum eligibility requirements above).
    3. Representation of the medically underserved (examples might 
include the medically uninsured or underinsured, people who for various 
reasons do not have adequate access to good medical care, and people 
who do not take advantage of available medical services).
    4. A range of organizations (if applicable), local/regional and 
national.
    5. Men and women.
    6. Age diversity.
    7. Geographic diversity (rural/urban mix; nationwide spread).

Screening, Scoring and Review Process

    After nominees are screened for basic eligibility they will be 
reviewed and scored in terms of the criteria for evaluating individual 
candidates (as listed in section A.1-7) by external people familiar 
with the responsibilities of the COPR. A list of highly qualified 
candidates who reflect balance and diversity of representation will be 
forwarded to the Director of NIH for selection of COPR members. The 
Director may determine to interview candidates (possibly in groups) 
prior to final selection.

Nomination Process

    The call for nominations is being disseminated through this Federal 
Register notice and through ancillary distribution to a broad range of 
groups, including national organizations, to encourage nominations of 
candidates reflecting the diversity sought for the COPR.
    Nominations may come from organizations or from individuals. Self-
nominations will be accepted. Interviews may be conducted with the most 
qualified candidates during the selection process.
    Each nomination package must include:
    1. A brief cover letter stating why the individual nominated wants 
to be a member of the COPR and comments about what they can contribute 
to fulfilling the mission of the COPR. This letter should address the 
individual's particular interests in the work of the NIH. Because the 
COPR will represent the varied publics served by NIH, it will be 
important to include information about the public, or segments of the 
public, with which the nominee would communicate, i.e., describe the 
group briefly in terms of geographic location, age, gender, ethnicity, 
whether or not the group includes the medically

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underserved, and if it is local, regional, or national (for guidance, 
see characteristics of the COPR and minimum eligibility requirements 
above).
    2. Brief comments relevant to each of the 7 criteria cited above 
under A. 1-7. All 7 criteria should be addressed in no more than 3 
pages.
    3. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the 
nominee (these individuals may be contacted during the selection 
process).
    4. A statement of assurance that, if selected, the individual will: 
(a) agree to participate fully in activities of the COPR, and (b) 
subordinate individual disease-specific or program-specific interests 
to broader, cross-cutting matters of importance to the NIH and its 
commitment to public representation.
    5. If the nomination is from a third party, verification that the 
individual nominated is cognizant that he or she is being nominated and 
wishes to be considered for membership on the COPR.
    The items noted above in ``Nomination Process'' (1-5) should be 
mailed to: Palladian Partners, Inc., Call for Nominations (COPR), 7315 
Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 440W, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Nominations 
must be postmarked by the January 15, 1999, closing date. Incomplete or 
late nomination packages will not be considered. If you have any 
questions, please call the NIH Office of Communications [and Public 
Liaison] at the National Institutes of Health: (301) 496-4461.
    Final selections will be made by the NIH Director. The schedule 
calls for contacting selected members in February 1999. The first COPR 
meeting is planned for late April 1999.

    Dated: November 19, 1998.
Anne Thomas,
Associate Director for Communications, NIH.
[FR Doc. 98-31919 Filed 11-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M