The Office of the Director is the central office at NIH. The OD is responsible for setting policy for NIH and for planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all the NIH components. Program offices in the Office of the Director are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout NIH and for planning and supporting research and related activities. Current program areas are: minority health, women's health, AIDS research, disease prevention, and behavioral and social sciences research. In July 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Francis S. Collins, M.D., PhD, to be the Director of the NIH. On August 7, 2009, the US Senate confirmed Dr. Collins by unanimous vote.
Program offices within the Office of the Director fund research through the institutes:
| Full name | Acronym | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Extramural Research | OER | provides guidance to institutes in research and training programs conducted through extramural (grant, contract, cooperative agreement) programs |
| Office of Intramural Research | OIR | coordinates research conducted directly by NIH personnel through intramural programs |
| Office of Management | OM | responsible for management and financial functions of the NIH |
| Office of Administration | OA | advises the NIH Director and staff on administration and management; develops and implements policies, and provides oversight in the areas of information resources management, management assessment, grant administration and contract management, procurement, and logistics |
| Office of AIDS Research | OAR | formulates scientific policy for, and recommends allocation of research resources for AIDS research at NIH |
| Office of Biotechnology Activities | OBA | "monitors scientific progress in human genetics research in order to anticipate future developments, including ethical, legal, and social concerns, in basic and clinical research involving Recombinant DNA, Genetic Technologies, and Xenotransplantation" |
| Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research | OBSSR | advises the NIH Director and other key officials on matters relating to research on the role of human behavior in the development of health, prevention of disease, and therapeutic intervention |
| Office of Communications and Public Liaison | OCPL | advises the Director and communicates information about NIH policies, programs, and research results to the general public |
| Office of Community Liaison | OCL | advises the Director, plans, directs and oversees activities to promote collaboration between NIH and its community, and ensures effective communication on policy and programs involving the community |
| Office of Disease Prevention | ODP | coordinates NIH activities regarding the application of research to disease prevention, nutrition and medical practice |
| Office of Intramural Training and Education | OITE | provides a comprehensive guide to postdoctoral training opportunities available at the NIH |
| Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management | OEODM | advises the Director and NIH staff on matters related to equal employment opportunity programs and policies |
| Office of Financial Management | OFM | advises the NIH Director and staff and provides leadership and direction for NIH financial management activities; develops policies and instructions for budget preparation and presentation and administers allocation of funds and manages a system of fund and budgetary controls |
| Office of Human Resources | OHR | advises the NIH Director and staff on human resource management; directs central human resource management services; and provides NIH leadership and planning on human resource program development |
| Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis | OLPA | provides legislative analysis, policy development, and liaison with the United States Congress |
| Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives | OPASI | provides the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its constituent Institutes and Centers (ICs) with the methods and information necessary to manage their large and complex scientific portfolios, identifies – in concert with multiple other inputs – important areas of emerging scientific opportunities or rising public health challenges, and assists in the acceleration of investments in these areas, focusing on those involving multiple ICs |
| Office of Research on Women's Health | ORWH | serves as a focal point for women's health research at the NIH. The ORWH promotes, stimulates, and supports efforts to improve the health of women through biomedical and behavioral research. ORWH works in partnership with the NIH institutes and centers to ensure that women's health research is part of the scientific framework at NIH and throughout the scientific community |
| Office of Science Education | OSE | coordinates science education activities at the NIH and develops and sponsors science education projects in house. These programs serve elementary, secondary, and college students and teachers and the public. Free curriculum supplements developed in collaboration with curriculum writers, NIH divisions, and NIH scientists are available online and in hard copy at Curriculum Supplements. The OSE has also developed an interactive health and medical science career exploration web site for middle school and high school students called LifeWorks. Other educational resources from throughout the NIH are found on the OSE main page. |
| Office of Rare Diseases | ORDR | supports research on rare diseases and collaborates with related organizations such as the National Organization for Rare Disorders. The Office of Rare Diseases was first established within the Office of the Director in 1993, and then by public law statute in 2002. |
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