Enhancing the Vitality of the National Institutes of Health: Organizational Change to Meet New Challenges

Excerpt

In report language accompanying the FY 2001 appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Congress directed National Institutes of Health (NIH) to have the National Academy of Sciences study “whether the current structure and organization of NIH are optimally configured for the scientific needs of the twenty-first century.”

In response to the congressional request, the goal of this study was to determine the optimal NIH organizational structure, given the context of 21st century biomedical research. The following specific questions were to be addressed: 1. Are there general principles by which NIH should be organized? 2. Does the current structure reflect these principles, or should NIH be restructured? 3. If restructuring is recommended, what should the new structure be? 4. How will the proposed new structure improve NIH’s ability to conduct biomedical research and training, and accommodate organizational growth in the future? 5. How would the proposed new structure overcome current weaknesses, and what new problems might it introduce?