[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60370-60371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20905]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 
Draft 2017-2021 Strategic Plan

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health.

ACTION: Request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication 
Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting 
public comment on the draft 2017-2021 NIDCD Strategic Plan. The 
Strategic Plan serves as a guide to the NIDCD in prioritizing its 
research investment, illustrates the current state-of-the-science, and 
highlights recent advances in the communication sciences. The draft 
Plan presents a series of goals and objectives that represent the most 
promising research needs within the NIDCD's mission areas.

DATES: Comments will be accepted through September 30, 2016.

ADDRESSES: The draft Plan is available for download at: https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan/2017-2021/public-comment. 
Comments must be submitted electronically via the web-based form at: 
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan/2017-2021/public-comment. The web-based form accepts text but cannot accept attachments. 
You will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of 
your response, but will not receive individualized feedback from NIDCD 
on any comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Specific questions regarding the NIDCD 
draft Strategic Plan should be directed to: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NIDCD mission is to conduct and support 
biomedical research, behavioral research, and research training in the 
normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, 
voice, speech, and language. The institute also conducts and supports 
research and research training related to disease prevention and health 
promotion; addresses special biomedical and behavioral problems 
associated with people who have communication impairments or disorders; 
and supports efforts to create devices that substitute for lost and 
impaired sensory and communication function. To accomplish these goals, 
the NIDCD manages a broad portfolio of both basic and clinical 
research. The portfolio is organized into three program areas: Hearing 
and balance; taste and smell; and voice, speech, and language. The 
three program areas seek to answer fundamental scientific questions 
about normal function and disorders and to identify patient-oriented 
scientific discoveries for preventing, screening, diagnosing, and 
treating disorders of human communication.
    The draft 2017-2021 NIDCD Strategic Plan has been developed over 
the past 12 months by NIDCD staff in consultation with scientific 
experts and the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 
Advisory Council. (Details of the development process are included in 
Appendix B of the draft Plan.) The goals listed in the draft Plan are 
an assessment of research areas that present the greatest scientific 
opportunities and public health needs over the next five years for the 
three program areas: Hearing and balance; taste and smell; and voice, 
speech and language.
    The NIDCD has identified four Priority Areas that have the 
potential to increase our understanding of the normal and disordered 
processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and 
language and to further our knowledge in human communication sciences. 
They are:
     Priority Area 1--Understanding Normal Function: Deepen our 
understanding of the mechanisms underlying normal function of the 
systems of human communication. By defining what is normal in both 
animal models and humans, we can better understand mechanisms of 
disease.
     Priority Area 2--Understanding Diseases and Disorders: 
Increase our knowledge of the mechanisms of diseases, disorders, and 
dysfunctions that impair human communication and health. Understanding 
mechanisms that underlie diseases and disorders is an important step in 
developing better prevention and treatment strategies.
     Priority Area 3--Improving Diagnosis, Treatment, and 
Prevention: Develop, test, and improve diagnosis, treatment, and 
prevention of diseases, disorders, and dysfunctions of human 
communication and health. Diagnosis considers normal function and 
provides targets for prevention and treatment. Improvements in 
prevention and treatment lead to better outcomes with fewer side 
effects.
     Priority Area 4--Improving Outcomes for Human 
Communication: Accelerate the translation of research discoveries into 
practice; increase access to health care; and enhance the delivery, 
quality, and effectiveness of care to improve personal and public 
health. Scientifically-validated prevention and treatment models will 
lead to better personal and public health only if they are translated 
effectively into routine practice.
    The goals presented in the Plan are a guide for:
     Scientists: To better understand the directions that NIDCD 
research may take in the future;
     The NIDCD: To assist in developing funding opportunity 
announcements and to identify projects for high program priority 
nomination; and
     The Public: To understand the state of communication 
sciences and to discover the scientific breakthroughs that are possible 
with sustained investments in biomedical research.
    Responses to this request for comments are voluntary. Any personal 
identifiers (e.g., names, addresses, email addresses, etc.) will be 
removed when responses are compiled. Only the de-identified comments 
will be made publicly available. Proprietary, classified, confidential, 
or sensitive information should not be included in your response. The 
Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical 
information in any resultant solicitation(s).
    This request for comment is for information and planning purposes 
only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation 
on the part of the Federal Government, or the NIH. The NIH does not 
intend to award a grant or contract to pay for the preparation of any 
information submitted or for the NIH's use of such information. No 
basis for claims against

[[Page 60371]]

the NIH shall arise as a result of a response to this request for 
information or the NIH's use of such information as part of the NIDCD 
Strategic Plan.
    The NIDCD anticipates that the finalized plan will be published on 
the NIDCD Web site in January 2017.

    Dated: August 24, 2016.
James F. Battey, Jr.,
Director, NIDCD, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2016-20905 Filed 8-31-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P