[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 147 (Monday, August 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38449-38450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18535]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Notice of Meeting; Moving Into the Future--New Dimensions and 
Strategies for Women's Health Research for the National Institutes of 
Health

    Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research on Women's 
Health (ORWH), Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, 
Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the 
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Women & 
Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, will convene a public hearing and 
scientific workshop on September 21-23, 2009, at the Women & Infants 
Hospital of Rhode Island Conference Center, Providence, Rhode Island.

Purpose of the Meeting

    With rapid advances in science and wider global understanding of 
women's health and sex/gender contributions to well-being and disease, 
the purpose of the meeting is to ensure that NIH continues to support 
cutting-edge women's health research that is based upon the most 
advanced techniques and methodologies. The meeting format is designed 
to promote an interactive discussion involving leading scientists, 
advocacy groups, public policy experts, health care providers, and the 
general public. The Providence meeting is the third in a series that 
will be convened throughout the Nation to help the ORWH and NIH move 
into the next decade of women's health research.
    As science and technology advance and fields such as computational 
biology demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary research, it remain 
critical for sex and gender factors to be integrated into broad 
experimental methodologies and scientific approaches across the 
lifespan. Biomedical and behavioral research are also necessary to 
understand how cultural, ethnic, and racial differences influence the 
causes, diagnosis, progression, treatment, and outcome of disease among 
different populations, including women of diverse geographic locations 
and socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, health differences among 
diverse populations of women remain a critical area in need of 
continued focus and attention.
    The ORWH challenges all meeting attendees to assist the NIH in 
defining the women's health research agenda of the future by thinking 
beyond traditional women's health issues. The ORWH and NIH ask meeting 
participants to consider creative strategies to identify areas of 
research that are best poised for advancement, identify innovative ways 
in which persistent issues of health and disease can be addressed, and 
explore new horizons of scientific concepts and investigative 
approaches. Attention also needs to be paid to new areas of science 
application, new technologies, and continuing basic science 
investigations. Clinical questions that are not currently the focus of 
research priorities need to be considered to ensure that women's health 
research is optimally served and that the ORWH can continue to provide 
leadership for the benefit of women's health, nationally and 
internationally.

Meeting Format

    The meeting will consist of public testimony, scientific panels, 
and eight concurrent scientific working groups. Specifically, on 
September 21, individuals representing a full spectrum of organizations 
interested in biomedical and behavioral research on women's health 
issues will have an opportunity to provide public testimony from 1:30 
to 5:30 p.m. On September 22 and 23, plenary sessions will focus on the 
intersection of health care, public policy, and biomedical research; on 
emerging issues and trends in health care; and on research paradigms of 
the future. The eight concurrent afternoon sessions on September 22 
will focus on a range of research areas, including Prenatal, Infancy, 
and Childhood Years; Adolescent Years; Reproductive and Middle Years; 
Pregnancy; Menopausal Transition; Elderly, Frail Elderly, and Healthy 
Aging; Oral Health and Systemic Conditions; and Careers in Dentistry, 
Bioengineering, and other Non-Medical Disciplines.
    On September 23 the morning session will be devoted to reports by 
the working group co-chairs regarding the recommendations emerging from 
working group deliberations on the previous day. The meeting will 
adjourn at 1:15 p.m. on September 23.

Public Testimony

    The ORWH invites individuals with an interest in research related 
to women's health to provide written and/or oral testimony on these 
topics and/or on issues related to the sustained advancement of women 
in various biomedical careers. Due to time constraints, only one 
representative from an organization or professional specialty group may 
give oral testimony. Individuals not representing an organized entity 
but a personal point of view are similarly invited to present written 
and/or oral testimony. A letter of intent to present oral testimony is 
necessary and should be sent electronically to http://www.orwhmeetings.com/movingintothefuture/ or by mail to Ms. Jory 
Barone, Educational Services, Inc., 4350 East-West Highway, Suite 1100, 
Bethesda, MD 20814, no later than September 13, 2009. The date of 
receipt of the communication will establish the order of those selected 
to give oral testimony at the September meeting.
    Those wishing to present oral testimony are also asked to submit a 
written form of their testimony that is limited to a maximum of 10 
pages, double spaced, 12-point font, and should include a brief 
description of their organization. Electronic submission to the above 
Web site is preferred; however, for those who do not have access to 
electronic means, written testimony, bound by the restrictions 
previously noted and postmarked no later than September 13, 2009, can 
be mailed to Ms. Jory Barone at the above address. All written 
presentations must meet the established

[[Page 38450]]

page limitations. Submissions exceeding this limit will not be accepted 
and will be returned. Oral testimony of this material at the meeting 
will be limited to no more than 5-6 minutes in length.
    Because of time constraints for oral testimony, testifiers may not 
be able to present the complete information as it is contained in their 
written form submitted for inclusion in the public record for the 
meeting. Therefore, testifiers are requested to summarize the major 
points of emphasis from the written testimony, not to exceed 6 minutes 
of oral testimony. Those individuals or organizations that have 
indicated they will present oral testimony at the meeting in Providence 
will be notified prior to the meeting regarding the approximate time 
for their oral presentation.
    Individuals and organizations wishing to provide written statements 
only should send a copy of their statements, electronically or by mail, 
to the above Web site or address by September 13, 2009. Written 
testimony received by that date will be made available at the September 
21-23 meeting. Logistics questions related to this meeting should be 
addressed to Ms. Jory Barone at ESI, while program-specific questions 
should be addressed to Ms. Maureen Pearlman at the Warren Alpert 
Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 401-276-
7800, ext. 123, [email protected].
    At the conclusion of the regional meetings, the ORWH will hold a 
meeting at the NIH to summarize the deliberations from the regional 
conferences. The resulting report to the ORWH and the NIH will ensure 
that women's health research in the coming decade continues to support 
a vigorous research agenda incorporating the latest advances in 
technology and cutting-edge science.

    Dated: July 28, 2009.
Raynard S. Kington,
Acting Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E9-18535 Filed 7-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P