[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42312-42313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20149]


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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 
Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern 
Memorial Hospital, will convene a public hearing and scientific 
workshop on October 14-16, 2009, at Northwestern University, Thorne 
Auditorium, Arthur Rubloff Building, Chicago, Illinois.

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 Chicago meeting is the fourth 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 remains 
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, the fact that there are 
health differences among diverse populations of women remains 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 
seven concurrent scientific working groups. Specifically, on October 
14, 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 2 to 6 
p.m. On October 15 and 16, 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 seven concurrent afternoon sessions on October 15 will 
focus on a range of research areas, including preventive heath and 
special populations; clinical trials/research; new technologies, 
bioengineering, imaging; genetics/epigenetics; sex hormones and 
disease; neuroscience; and women in science careers. On October 16, 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 12:45 
p.m. on October 16.

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 October 4, 2009. The date of receipt 
of the communication will establish the order of those selected to give 
oral testimony at the October 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 the 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 October 4, 2009, can be 
mailed to Ms. Jory Barone at the above address. All written 
presentations must meet the established 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 Chicago 
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 October 4, 2009. Written testimony 
received by that date will be made available at the October 14-16 
meeting. Logistics questions related to the meeting should be addressed 
to Ms. Jory Barone at ESI, while program-specific questions should be 
addressed to Dr. Jody K. Hirsch at the Feinberg School of

[[Page 42313]]

Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, at telephone number 312-503-3659 or e-mail 
address [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: August 13, 2009.
Raynard S. Kington,
Acting Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E9-20149 Filed 8-20-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P