[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44034-44035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20822]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

    The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 
Diseases (NIDDK)--in close collaboration with the members of its 
National Advisory Council, Board of Scientific Counselors, and other 
external scientific and lay experts--is embarking on the development of 
a Strategic Plan that will be reflective of the Institute's unique 
mission, science and culture. As part of the NIH response to 
recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) study on NIH 
priority-setting and public input, the NIDDK is required to send a 
draft copy of its Strategic Plan to the NIH Director by December 31, 
1999. the NIDDK needs and welcomes public input into this process.
    The NIDDK wants to develop a process that considers the views of 
groups and individuals who are concerned about the Institute's research 
programs aimed at expanding knowledge about and reducing the burden of 
the diseases within the NIDDK mission. The development of the NIDDK 
Strategic Plan will be a continuous, iterative process, during which 
draft documents will be shared with the scientific and lay community to 
solicit comments and input at steps along the way. The NIDDK's new 
Strategic Plan will build upon many existing planning processes that 
are already in place within the Institute, as well as upon the plans of 
constituent organizations.
    The NIDDK expects to develop its Strategic Plan using cross-cutting 
scientific themes that unite and underpin the disease-oriented programs 
of the Institute. These cross-cutting themes include genetics, cell 
biology, mechanisms of disease injury, prevention and treatment of 
disease, and research infrastructure. Expert Working Groups will 
provide advice to the Institute on these themes. In the NIDDK Strategic 
Planning document, disease-oriented research will be used, by way of 
example, to highlight these unifying scientific themes. While the Plan 
will not contain budget estimates, it should include scientific 
implementation strategies for capitalizing on cross-cutting research 
opportunities and needs. This conceptual framework for developing the 
NIDDK Strategic Plan was presented to and generally endorsed by the 
statutory NIDDK National Advisory Council on June 1, 1999.
    As one means of gaining public input, the Institute will hold an 
``Open Meeting for Public Comment on the NIDDK Strategic Planning 
Process'' on Monday, October 18, 1999, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 
one-hour break for attendees to purchase lunch. This meeting will be 
held in Conference Room 10 in Building 31, ``C'' Wing, at the National 
Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The purpose of this meeting 
is to enable individuals representing voluntary health and professional 
organizations, as well as private citizens, to provide oral comment on 
the process and on an

[[Page 44035]]

expanded outline of a working draft document. Members of the NIDDK 
National Advisory Council and Senior Staff will be in attendance. Prior 
to the public comment, brief presentations will be made by NIDDK Senior 
Staff on the different sections of the working draft document.
    In an effort to achieve representation across the many diseases 
within the mission of the NIDDK, oral presentations at the October 18 
meeting will be strictly limited to three minutes in length. In order 
to have a written public record of all comments, transcription services 
will be available for those who cannot provide a typed copy of their 
comments. If you do not wish to or are unable to make an oral 
presentation, the NIDDK encourages the submission of written statements 
of unspecified length.
    Requests for time to give oral presentations should be made in 
writing by September 15, 1999 to: Ms. Mary Beth Kester, Program 
Analyst, Office of Scientific Program and Policy Analysis, NIDDK, NIH, 
31 Center Drive MSC 2560, Building 31, Room 9A07, Bethesda, MD 20892-
2560. Please include in your request any special accommodations that 
you may require. Written statements may be submitted to the above 
address until October 25, 1999. The NIDDK will assemble a compendium of 
all comments received and this compendium will be available for public 
access at the NIDDK Office of Scientific Program and Policy Analysis.
    Please visit the NIDDK World Wide Web site (http:///
www.niddk.nih.gov), where electronic comments can be made about some of 
the features, goals and objectives that the Institute would like to 
incorporate in its Strategic Plan, and the preliminary conceptual 
framework for developing the document. We are asking that electronic 
comments be submitted by October 8, 1999, so that they can be 
considered in the development of the Strategic Plan. If you do not have 
access to a computer, the NIDDK will provide you with a copy of the 
material that is on the World Wide Web site. You may request this 
material from: Ms. Mary Beth Kester at the address noted previously.
    The NIDDK looks forward to working with the research community and 
the public to develop its Strategic Plan.

    Dated: August 2, 1999.
Ms. Carol Feld,
Associate Director for Scientific, Program and Policy Analysis, NIDDK, 
NIH.
[FR Doc. 99-20822 Filed 8-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M