HHS Strategic Goals and Objectives - FY 2001 . Goal 6 - Strengthen the Nation's Health Science Research Enterprise and Enhance its Productivity

The "health research" goal recognizes the prominence of health research in HHS and its importance in furthering the overall mission of improving the nation's health. Many strategies under other goals and objectives are also research based, so there is overlap among the goals and objectives. The objectives under Goal 6 deal with creating knowledge that ultimately is useful in addressing health challenges. In this respect, the objectives address the need to maintain and improve the research infrastructure that produces scientific advances.

• Objective 6.1 - Advance the Scientific Understanding of Normal and Abnormal Biological Functions and Behaviors

  • How We Will Accomplish Our Objective

    

    We will advance our scientific knowledge by:

    • expanding our investments in basic research.

    • applying stringent peer review for scientific quality on all research proposals to return the maximum possible on the public's investment in medical research.

    • ensuring the medical research is responsive to public health needs, scientific opportunities, and advances in technology using effective research priority setting processes.

    6.1 Implementation Strategies

    Investments Peer Review Priority Setting Technology Transfer

    • promoting technology transfer through such mechanisms as interagency collaborations and partnerships with academia and industry to facilitate the wide and rapid diffusion of new knowledge.

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: CDC FDA NIH OS

     

• Objective 6.2 - Improve Our Understanding of How to Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Disease and Disability

  • How We Will Accomplish Our Objective

    We will improve our understanding of how to prevent, diagnose and treat disease and disability by:

    • expanding the nation's investments in research to translate new fundamental knowledge into new or improved diagnostics, prevention strategies, and treatments.

    • using population-based, behavioral, and social science research to assess risks and behaviors associated with diseases, injuries, disabilities, and premature death.

    • continuing to promote the inclusion of women and minorities and their sub- populations in human subject research though recruitment outreach and monitoring of participation.

    • applying stringent peer review for scientific quality on all research proposals to ensure the maximum possible return on the public's investment in medical research.

    • sustaining processes for research priority setting that ensure medical research is responsive to public health needs, scientific opportunities, and advances in technology.

    6.2 Implementation Strategies

    Investments Risk and Behavior Assessment Human Subject Recruitment Peer Review Priority Setting Technology Transfer

    • promoting technology transfer through such mechanisms as interagency collaborations and partnerships with academia and industry to facilitate the rapid commercialization of new drugs, biologic therapies, and medical devices.

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: AHRQ CDC FDA NIH OS

     

• Objective 6.3 - Enhance Our Understanding of How to Improve the Quality, Effectiveness, Utilization, Financing, and Cost-Effectiveness of Health Services

  • How We Will Accomplish Our Objective

    We will improve our understanding of how best to deliver health services in the United States by:

    • increasing our investment in health services research.

    • identifying key research questions and selecting the highest quality research proposals.

    • creating research partnerships with states and private sector organizations.

    6.3 Implementation Strategies

    Investments Improving Project Quality Research Partnerships Focusing Research

    • focusing our research on understanding how to improve health services for unserved and underserved populations (e.g., minorities and populations in rural areas); how to improve financing; and how to improve services that present significant challenges in terms of access and effectiveness (e.g., primary care, emergency care, long-term-care, mental health, and substance abuse).

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: AHRQ CDC HCFA HRSA NIH OS SAMHSA

     

• Objective 6.4 - Accelerate Private-Sector Development of New Drugs, Biologic Therapies, and Medical Technology

  • How We Will Accomplish Our Objective

    We will accelerate development by:

    • applying state-of-the-art science knowledge to ensure timely review of important new medical products.

    • streamlining the review processes for approval of new drugs, therapies, and technology.

    • increasing communications and collaboration (e.g., cooperative research and development agreements) with sponsors both before and during the review process.

    • harmonizing regulatory standards with those of other industrial nations.

    6.4 Implementation Strategies

    Science Capacity Streamlining Review Process Communication Harmonizing Standards Priority Setting

    • prioritizing the review of new drugs and medical devices, paying special attention to drugs and devices that offer the greatest potential for treating serious or life-threatening diseases.

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: FDA NIH OS

     

• Objective 6.5 - Strengthen and Diversify the Base of Well-Qualified Health Researchers

  • How We Will Accomplish Our Objective

    

    We will strengthen and diversify the base of researchers by:

    • investing in research training and career development programs.

    • supporting training programs in minority institutions and in those that serve minorities.

    • recruiting under-represented segments of society into research training and career development programs.

    6.5 Implementation Strategies

    Training Recruitment Geographic Distribution

    • implementing a program to broaden the geographic distribution of health services research funding and enhance the competitiveness of institutions located in states that have a low success rate for grant applications.

     

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: AHRQ CDC HCFA NIH OS

     

     

• Objective 6.6 - Improve the Communication and Application of Health Research Results

  • How We Will Accomplish Our Objective

    We will increase our use of technology to expand our dissemination capacity and reduce the time it takes to provide information to stakeholders, including the use of multiple media channels (such as print, television, radio, and the interactive World Wide Web) and the electronic gathering and transfer of information.

    We will use new information technology to facilitate the wide and rapid dissemination of new research findings across research disciplines to bridge the practice gaps among clinical and public health disciplines.

    We will establish partnerships with health professional associations, industry groups, patient representatives, and purchasers of care to more widely disseminate research findings.

    6.6 Implementation Strategies

    Technology Partnerships HHS Website Development Research

    We will improve linkages and organization of HHS web sites that disseminate research results to improve the reach and effectiveness of our communications.

    We will support research and other activities designed to develop better information dissemination models and communication programs.

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: AHRQ CDC FDA HCFA HRSA NIH OS SAMHSA

     

• Objective 6.7 - Strengthen Mechanisms for Ensuring the Protection of Human Subjects in Research and the Integrity of the Research Process.

  • We will strengthen mechanisms for ensuring protection of human subjects by:

    • increasing and enhancing the educational opportunities for clinical investigators and Institutional Review Board (IRB) members and staff to facilitate their understanding and application of federal requirements for the protection of human subjects.

    • issuing specific guidance on informed consent.

    • promoting the use of accreditation of human-subject-protection programs and certification of IRB staff and members, as part of the NIH grant award process and the assurance process.

    • clarifying existing conflict of interest regulations and developing new conflict of interest policies for the biomedical research community.

    • pursuing legislation to enable FDA to levy the civil monetary penalties for violations of informed consent and other requirements.

    6.7 Implementation Strategies

    Training/Staffing Improving Procedures Accreditation Monetary Penalties Research

    • We will strengthen the integrity of the research process by:

    • increasing staffing and, where appropriate, improving our review procedures for ensuring research integrity, and applying these improvements to enhance the monitoring of research institutions.

    • enhancing the way we address and resolve allegations of research misconduct; for example, adopting a standardized definition of research misconduct and consistent policy for resolving allegations across the various federal research agencies.

    • in collaboration with the scientific community, providing and facilitating required expanded training in the responsible conduct of research for our partner institutions.

    HHS Agencies contributing to this objective: AHRQ CDC FDA NIH OS

    • expanding efforts to conduct research on issues affecting research integrity, including methods to maximize effective training in responsible research, types of federal regulations that are effective and efficacious, and identification of institutional systems and processes that can be adopted to ensure responsible research.