§ 282. Director of National Institutes of Health

§ 282. Director of National Institutes of Health

(a) Appointment The National Institutes of Health shall be headed by the Director of NIH who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director of NIH shall perform functions as provided under subsection (b) and as the Secretary may otherwise prescribe.

(b) Duties and authority In carrying out the purposes of section 241 of this title, the Secretary, acting through the Director of NIH—

Chapter 10 of title 5 shall not apply to the duration of a peer review group appointed under paragraph (16). The members of such a group shall be individuals who by virtue of their training or experience are eminently qualified to perform the review functions of such group. Not more than one-fourth of the members of any such group shall be officers or employees of the United States.

(1) shall carry out this subchapter, including being responsible for the overall direction of the National Institutes of Health and for the establishment and implementation of general policies respecting the management and operation of programs and activities within the National Institutes of Health;

(2) shall coordinate and oversee the operation of the national research institutes, national centers, and administrative entities within the National Institutes of Health;

(3) shall, in consultation with the heads of the national research institutes and national centers, be responsible for program coordination across the national research institutes and national centers, including conducting priority-setting reviews, to ensure that the research portfolio of the National Institutes of Health is balanced and free of unnecessary duplication, and takes advantage of collaborative, cross-cutting research;

(4) shall assemble accurate data to be used to assess research priorities, including—

(A) information to better evaluate scientific opportunity, public health burdens, and progress in reducing health disparities; and

(B) data on study populations of clinical research, funded by or conducted at each national research institute and national center, which—

(i) specifies the inclusion of—

(I) women;

(II) members of minority groups;

(III) relevant age categories, including pediatric subgroups; and

(IV) other demographic variables as the Director of the National Institutes of Health determines appropriate;

(ii) is disaggregated by research area, condition, and disease categories; and

(iii) is to be made publicly available on the Internet website of the National Institutes of Health;

(5) shall ensure that scientifically based strategic planning is implemented in support of research priorities as determined by the agencies of the National Institutes of Health, and through the development, implementation, and updating of the strategic plan developed under subsection (m);

(6) shall ensure that the resources of the National Institutes of Health are sufficiently allocated for research projects identified in strategic plans;

(7)

(A) shall, through the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives—

(i) identify research that represents important areas of emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or knowledge gaps that deserve special emphasis and would benefit from conducting or supporting additional research that involves collaboration between 2 or more national research institutes or national centers, or would otherwise benefit from strategic coordination and planning;

(ii) include information on such research in reports under section 283 of this title; and

(iii) in the case of such research supported with funds referred to in subparagraph (B)—

(I) require as appropriate that proposals include milestones and goals for the research;

(II) require that the proposals include timeframes for funding of the research; and

(III) ensure appropriate consideration of proposals for which the principal investigator is an individual who has not previously served as the principal investigator of research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health;

(B)

(i) may, with respect to funds reserved under section 282a(c)(1) of this title for the Common Fund, allocate such funds to the national research institutes and national centers for conducting and supporting research that is identified under subparagraph (A); and

(ii) shall, with respect to funds appropriated to the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives pursuant to section 282a(a)(2) of this title, allocate such funds to the national research institutes and national centers for making grants for pediatric research that is identified under subparagraph (A) and shall prioritize, as appropriate, such pediatric research that does not duplicate existing research activities of the National Institutes of Health; and

(C) may assign additional functions to the Division in support of responsibilities identified in subparagraph (A), as determined appropriate by the Director;

(8) shall, in coordination with the heads of the national research institutes and national centers, ensure that such institutes and centers—

(A) preserve an emphasis on investigator-initiated research project grants, including with respect to research involving collaboration between 2 or more such institutes or centers;

(B) when appropriate, maximize investigator-initiated research project grants in their annual research portfolios;

(C) foster collaboration between clinical research projects funded by the respective national research institutes and national centers that—

(i) conduct research involving human subjects; and

(ii) collect similar data; and

(D) encourage the collaboration described in subparagraph (C) to—

(i) allow for an increase in the number of subjects studied; and

(ii) utilize diverse study populations, with special consideration to biological, social, and other determinants of health that contribute to health disparities;

(9) shall ensure that research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health is subject to review in accordance with section 289a of this title and that, after such review, the research is reviewed in accordance with section 289a–1(a)(2) of this title by the appropriate advisory council under section 284a of this title before the research proposals are approved for funding;

(10) shall have authority to review and approve the establishment of all centers of excellence recommended by the national research institutes;

(11)

(A) shall oversee research training for all of the national research institutes and National Research Service Awards in accordance with section 288 of this title; and

(B) may conduct and support research training—

(i) for which fellowship support is not provided under section 288 of this title; and

(ii) that does not consist of residency training of physicians or other health professionals;

(12) may, from funds appropriated under section 282a(b) of this title, reserve funds to provide for research on matters that have not received significant funding relative to other matters, to respond to new issues and scientific emergencies, and to act on research opportunities of high priority;

(13) may, subject to appropriations Acts, collect and retain registration fees obtained from third parties to defray expenses for scientific, educational, and research-related conferences;

(14) for the national research institutes and administrative entities within the National Institutes of Health—

(A) may acquire, construct, improve, repair, operate, and maintain, at the site of such institutes and entities, laboratories, and other research facilities, other facilities, equipment, and other real or personal property, and

(B) may acquire, without regard to section 8141 of title 40, by lease or otherwise through the Administrator of General Services, buildings or parts of buildings in the District of Columbia or communities located adjacent to the District of Columbia for use for a period not to exceed ten years;

(15) may secure resources for research conducted by or through the National Institutes of Health;

(16) may, without regard to the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, establish such technical and scientific peer review groups and scientific program advisory committees as are needed to carry out the requirements of this subchapter and appoint and pay the members of such groups, except that officers and employees of the United States shall not receive additional compensation for service as members of such groups;

(17) may secure for the National Institutes of Health consultation services and advice of persons from the United States or abroad;

(18) may use, with their consent, the services, equipment, personnel, information, and facilities of other Federal, State, or local public agencies, with or without reimbursement therefor;

(19) may, for purposes of study, admit and treat at facilities of the National Institutes of Health individuals not otherwise eligible for such treatment;

(20) may accept voluntary and uncompensated services;

(21) may perform such other administrative functions as the Secretary determines are needed to effectively carry out this subchapter;

(22) may appoint physicians, dentists, and other health care professionals, subject to the provisions of title 5 relating to appointments and classifications in the competitive service, and may compensate such professionals subject to the provisions of chapter 74 of title 38;

(23) shall designate a contact point or office to help innovators and physicians identify sources of funding available for pediatric medical device development;

(24) implement the Cures Acceleration Network described in section 287a of this title;

(25) may require recipients of National Institutes of Health awards to share scientific data, to the extent feasible, generated from such National Institutes of Health awards in a manner that is consistent with all applicable Federal laws and regulations, including such laws and regulations for the protection of—

(A) human research participants, including with respect to privacy, security, informed consent, and protected health information; and

(B) proprietary interests, confidential commercial information, and the intellectual property rights of the funding recipient;

(26) shall consult with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the heads of other Federal agencies and offices, as appropriate, regarding research needs to advance medical countermeasures to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any biological agent or toxin, including emerging infectious diseases, chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent that may cause a public health emergency or other research needs related to emerging public health threats;

(27) shall consult with the Director of the Office of National Security within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the heads of other appropriate agencies on a regular basis, regarding biomedical research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health that may affect or be affected by matters of national security;

(28) shall ensure that recipients of awards from the National Institutes of Health, and, as appropriate and practicable, entities collaborating with such recipients, have in place and are adhering to appropriate technology practices and policies for the security of identifiable, sensitive information, including information collected, stored, managed, or analyzed by domestic and non-domestic entities; and

(29) shall ensure that recipients of awards from the National Institutes of Health are in compliance with the terms and conditions of such award, which may include activities to support awareness of, and compliance with, such terms and conditions by any subrecipients of the award.

(c) Availability of substances and organisms for research The Director of NIH may make available to individuals and entities, for biomedical and behavioral research, substances and living organisms. Such substances and organisms shall be made available under such terms and conditions (including payment for them) as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(d) Services of experts or consultants; number; payment of expenses, conditions, recovery

(1) The Director of NIH may obtain (in accordance with section 3109 of title 5, but without regard to the limitation in such section on the period of service) the services of not more than 220 experts or consultants, with scientific or other professional qualifications, for the National Institutes of Health.

(2)

(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), experts and consultants whose services are obtained under paragraph (1) shall be paid or reimbursed, in accordance with title 5, for their travel to and from their place of service and for other expenses associated with their assignment.

(B) Expenses specified in subparagraph (A) shall not be allowed in connection with the assignment of an expert or consultant whose services are obtained under paragraph (1) unless the expert or consultant has agreed in writing to complete the entire period of the assignment or one year of the assignment, whichever is shorter, unless separated or reassigned for reasons which are beyond the control of the expert or consultant and which are acceptable to the Secretary. If the expert or consultant violates the agreement, the money spent by the United States for such expenses is recoverable from the expert or consultant as a debt due the United States. The Secretary may waive in whole or in part a right of recovery under this subparagraph.

(e) Dissemination of research information The Director of NIH shall—

(1) advise the agencies of the National Institutes of Health on medical applications of research;

(2) coordinate, review, and facilitate the systematic identification and evaluation of, clinically relevant information from research conducted by or through the national research institutes;

(3) promote the effective transfer of the information described in paragraph (2) to the health care community and to entities that require such information;

(4) monitor the effectiveness of the activities described in paragraph (3); and

(5) ensure that, after January 1, 1994, all new or revised health education and promotion materials developed or funded by the National Institutes of Health and intended for the general public are in a form that does not exceed a level of functional literacy, as defined in the National Literacy Act of 1991 (Public Law 102–73).

(f) Associate Director for Prevention; functions There shall be in the National Institutes of Health an Associate Director for Prevention. The Director of NIH shall delegate to the Associate Director for Prevention the functions of the Director relating to the promotion of the disease prevention research programs of the national research institutes and the coordination of such programs among the national research institutes and between the national research institutes and other public and private entities, including elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools. The Associate Director shall—

(1) annually review the efficacy of existing policies and techniques used by the national research institutes to disseminate the results of disease prevention and behavioral research programs; and

(2) recommend, coordinate, and oversee the modification or reconstruction of such policies and techniques to ensure maximum dissemination, using advanced technologies to the maximum extent practicable, of research results to such entities.

(g) Transferred

(h) Increased participation of women and disadvantaged individuals in biomedical and behavioral research The Secretary, acting through the Director of NIH and the Directors of the agencies of the National Institutes of Health, shall, in conducting and supporting programs for research, research training, recruitment, and other activities, provide for an increase in the number of women and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities) in the fields of biomedical and behavioral research.

(i) Data bank of information on clinical trials for drugs for serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions

(1)

(A) The Secretary, acting through the Director of NIH, shall establish, maintain, and operate a data bank of information on clinical trials for drugs for serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions (in this subsection referred to as the “data bank”). The activities of the data bank shall be integrated and coordinated with related activities of other agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services, and to the extent practicable, coordinated with other data banks containing similar information.

(B) The Secretary shall establish the data bank after consultation with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the directors of the appropriate agencies of the National Institutes of Health (including the National Library of Medicine), and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall collect, catalog, store, and disseminate the information described in such paragraph. The Secretary shall disseminate such information through information systems, which shall include toll-free telephone communications, available to individuals with serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions, to other members of the public, to health care providers, and to researchers.

(3) The data bank shall include the following: