The Division of Strategic Coordination (DSC) within the Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives (OPASI) is responsible for integrating information and managing the process by which recommendations are developed to inform the priority-setting and decision-making processes of the NIH in formulating trans-NIH strategic initiatives. These initiatives will address exceptional scientific opportunities and emerging public health needs (akin to the NIH Roadmap, Obesity Initiative, and Neuroscience Blueprint).

DSC will provide the NIH Director with the information needed to allocate resources effectively for trans-NIH efforts. Although OPASI will not have grant-making authority, the DSC will provide an “incubator space” for trans-NIH initiatives, and support priority projects on a time-limited basis (5 to 10 years). This turnover will ensure that sufficient funds are available for continuous development of new, trans-NIH efforts. Support will come from pooled resources (the Common Fund). In addition, IC-level budget allocations could be informed by OPASI’s work, in that promising initiatives may be identified that are more appropriately supported at the IC level.

Function

On a regular basis, the DSC will carry out its mission by managing the process by which trans-NIH initiatives are prioritized for consideration and evaluation by both outside advisors and NIH leadership. The DSC will coordinate the collection of information, analyze recommendations from a variety of sources (see below), and map potential initiatives against available resources.

Strategic initiatives will be developed based on the following inputs:

• Advice and recommendations from panels of scientific experts and other relevant constituencies (NIH Roadmap-like process);
• Data and analyses from the Division of Resource Development and Analysis;
• Data and analyses from the Division of Evaluation and Systematic Assessments;
• Areas identified by the IC Directors as worthy of cross-cutting support;
• Areas identified by the OD Program Offices as worthy of cross-cutting support; and
• Advice and recommendations from stakeholders (e.g., Congress, scientific advocacy groups, patient advocacy organizations).

Specifically, the process for developing, reviewing, and approving trans-NIH initiatives will involve the components described below (see flow chart).

After receiving input from multiple sources, OPASI staff will develop a list of potential trans-NIH initiatives for initial consideration by the OPASI Director, the IC Directors, and an external advisory panel, the Council of Councils. The information provided by OPASI staff for this “concept approval” review could include deliverables, timetables, and projected costs for each initiative.

In preparing the list of initiatives for review, OPASI staff will be guided by a set of rigorous, pre-defined criteria. Initiatives that do not meet them (“non-responsive”), but show particular promise, may be brought to the attention of the relevant ICs for potential follow-up.

Development of review criteria is an important next step – this task could be assigned to the Steering Committee working group responsible for OPASI’s governance.

The Council of Councils will be made up of approximately 30 members (one from each IC Advisory Council, representatives nominated by the OD program offices, and broad lay representation, including a member of the NIH Council of Public Representatives). Members would serve on a rotating basis. Consideration should be given to establishing the Council of Councils as a working group of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD).

ICs and OD program offices will be asked to nominate up to three potential candidates for the Council of Councils – 2 scientists and 1 lay member. Final selections will be made by the NIH Director, ensuring representation of a broad range of disciplines and perspectives.

Ultimately, the “concept approval” review described above – which is intended to be an interactive process with the OPASI Director, IC Directors, and Council of Councils – will lead to a prioritized list (with tiered, not ordinal, rankings) of trans-NIH initiatives to be further developed by OPASI staff. This would include the development of a detailed business plan for each initiative.

The shorter, but more detailed, list of potential initiatives will then be reviewed by all the IC Directors, who will make preliminary funding recommendations to the NIH Director.

The NIH Director will then ask the ACD for their funding recommendations. The final selections will be made by the NIH Director.

Discussions of the benefits of the proposed initiatives will be integrated into annual leadership meetings (e.g., Budget Retreats, Leadership Forum), and, ultimately, will shape priority-setting processes and future budget decisions.

The implementation of initiatives that are selected for support will be coordinated by the lead ICs or appropriate OD program offices. Likewise, the lead ICs or OD program offices will be responsible for reporting on their progress on a regular basis. The DSC will track the status of all trans-NIH initiatives (on-going and new) to help determine how they fit into the overall NIH portfolio and whether there are gaps.

Over time, in addition to the core responsibilities described above, the DSC could also perform the following functions:

• Further develop promising initiatives that are not yet ready for support;
• Identify and disseminate “best practices” for strategic planning processes; and
• Assist ICs with strategic planning activities, as requested by the ICs.

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