NIH Releases First Biennial Report of the Director

2009-01-14

The Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Raynard Kington, MD, has announced the public release of the first Biennial Report of the Director, a document mandated by the NIH Reform Act of 2006 with the goal of making it easier for Congress, advocates and patient groups, and the general public to understand the many programs within NIH. This public release follows the submission of an administrative pre-print of the report to Congress in early June.

The report contains an assessment of the state of biomedical and behavioral research organized by disease category, investigative approach, or resource. To ensure that the document reflects the work of all 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs), 15 trans-NIH teams gathered, reviewed, and organized information into a standardized format. Sections of the report include:

  • An introduction to the disease, disorder, field, or approach;
  • A summary of the scope of NIH's research activities referencing the ICs whose missions address the topic;
  • Related health statistics;
  • Aggregate data on NIH funding;
  • Notable examples of research activities, key programs, initiatives, studies and accomplishments; and
  • Strategic plans and directions for future research.

As mandated by Congress, the report includes chapters on the following diseases, disorders, health topics, and NIH activities:

  • Cancer;
  • Neuroscience and disorders of the nervous system;
  • Infections diseases and biodefense;
  • Autoimmune diseases;
  • Chronic diseases and organ systems;
  • Life stages, human development, and rehabilitation;
  • Minority health and health disparities;
  • Epidemiological and longitudinal studies;
  • Genomics;
  • Molecular biology and basic sciences;
  • Clinical and translational research;
  • Disease registries, databases, and biomedical information systems;
  • Technology development;
  • Research training and career development;
  • Health communication, information campaigns, and clearinghouses; and
  • Six congressionally-mandated NIH Center of Excellence programs.

The full report, containing links to NIH programs and the plans and publications referenced in the report, is available online through the Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT) Web site.

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