• Determining the Best Model for Federal Research Agency Coordination 



A more integrated approach needs to be fostered in common areas of research. Such complementary efforts 

 are both cost effective and result in stimulating development of new research areas. Because of the high 

 cost of specialized research facilities it is imperative that there be an evolution in Federal Agency partner- 

 ships. For example, the cost of developing high technology facilities necessitates prospective planning not 

 only to address the specialized needs of an array of research disciplines but also to address cost sharing of 

 that approach. 



Plans must be developed by individual research agencies in concert with the academic community, much as 

 the NIH developed its Strategic Plan. Federal Agency coordination is imperative for those research areas 

 with complementary missions. Priority setting through the FCCSET process provides for coordination of 

 agency plans and priorities. This is particularly important in light of the trend toward greater interdiscipli- 

 nary research of progressively greater complexity. 



• Determining the Best Model for Academic and Federal Interaction 



NIH has used a variety of funding mechanisms for support of research and it is important to maintain 

 diverse funding mechanisms to ensure a strong research capacity. As research costs continue to increase, 

 creative cost-effective approaches for shared instrumentation facilities and other resources need to be care- 

 fully integrated within academia as well as across Federal agencies. Whenever possible, concentrated 

 academic centers of excellence as well as distributed regional, national or international centers need to be 

 considered vis-a-vis individual research project approaches to funding research. Neither need be exclusive 

 and, in fact, they should be complementary to the research missions of NIH. 



There has been a recent emphasis on support of interdisciplinary research that includes diverse departments 

 within an institution and collaboration among institutions. High speed computer links potentially provide a 

 greater capacity and a faster transmission of data for these interdisciplinary efforts. Cross training of stu- 

 dents as well as senior investigators in disciplines needed to conduct interdisciplinary research will be a 

 necessity. 



The funding of large scale projects can be remarkably efficient and can produce great success. A recent ex- 

 ample is the funding of large scale centers in the Human Genome Project. A concern with this approach is 

 the potential limitations on individual creativity. 



The role of industry and the Federal government in support of academia to meet research goals, technology 

 transfer and economic competitiveness needs to be clarified and plans made to develop and strengthen such 

 efforts. 



• Determining the Cost of Research 



More accurate data need to be generated to provide estimates of the cost of research. For example, the in- 

 direct cost of research is the largest growing segment of research. Personnel costs (salaries and benefits) are 

 the largest component of the direct cost line and this segment continues to rise. 



• Determining Bioethical, Legal and Social Research Concerns and Their Impact on Public Health 



Advances in research pose many legal, social and ethical issues to the Nation. For example, the impact of 

 information regarding predisposition to disease, gene therapies, and handling of genetic information needs 

 to be addressed. This may be the greatest challenge that NIH faces in the next ten years. 



Legislative Authorities: 



Public Health Service Act, Title ID, Sec. 301 and Sec. 405. 



55 



