Board of Scientific Counselors (Division of Intramural Research)
OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Intramural Research Program conducts biomedical health related research in its own laboratories and provides advice to the Institute in carrying out its programs with respect to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dental diseases and conditions and craniofacial research. In order to secure unbiased and objective evaluation of intramural research programs and of the work of the individual scientist, expert scientists from outside the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are invited to join the Board of Scientific Counselors.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Board of Scientific Counselors, NIDCR (Board), will review and evaluate the intramural program and the work of tenured, tenure track and staff scientists and physicians. The Board will be provided with a written description of the overall research to be reviewed. This written description should present the overall past accomplishments of the laboratories and their investigators since the last review was conducted. The written description will also present: the general aims, objectives and projected directions of the research to be conducted; appropriate background information on possible future research projects; a brief summary of the general research plan; and an indication of the importance of the research projects to their specific clinical and scientific disciplines.
The Board, after conducting the review, will prepare a written description of the research, the results of the review, and the recommendations of the laboratory and scientists concerning the intramural research programs.
AGENCY OR OFFICIAL TO WHOM THE COMMITTEE REPORTS
The Board will advise the Director, NIH; the Deputy Director for Intramural Research, NIH; the Director, NIDCR; and the Scientific Director, NIDCR.
SUPPORT
Management and support services will be provided by the Intramural research program, NIDCR.
DESIGNATED FEDERAL OFFICER
The Director, NIDCR, will assign a full-time or permanent part-time NIDCR employee as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) of the committee. In the event that the DFO cannot fulfill the assigned duties of the committee, one or more full-time or permanent part-time NIDCR or NIH employee will be assigned these duties on a temporary basis.
The DFO will approve or call all of the committee’s and its subcommittees’ meetings, prepare and approve all meeting agendas, attend all committee and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when it is determined to be in the public interest, and chair meetings when directed to do so by the Director, NIH, or Director, NIDCR.
ESTIMATED NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
Meetings of the full Board will be held approximately two times within a fiscal year. Meetings will be open to the public except as determined otherwise by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) in accordance with subsection (c) of section 552b of Title 5 U.S.C. Notice of all meetings will be given to the public. In the event a portion of a meeting is closed to the public, as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b(c)) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, a report will be prepared which will contain, as a minimum, a list of members and their business addresses, the Board's functions, the dates and places of meetings, and a summary of the Board's activities and recommendations made during the fiscal year. A copy of the report will be provided to the Department Committee Management Officer.
DURATION
Continuing. This Board is authorized by statute with no specified end date.
AUTHORITY
42 U.S.C. 282(b)(16), section 402(b)(16) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The Committee is being established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. app.), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.
TERMINATION
In accordance with 42 U.S.C. 282(b)(16), section 402(b)(23), the Federal Advisory Committee Act does not apply to the duration of the Board. The Director, NIH, determines if the Board should be terminated.
MEMBERSHIP AND DESIGNATION
The Board will consist of nine members, including the Chair, appointed by the Director, NIH, from authorities knowledgeable in the fields of basic and clinical medical sciences related to the research activities of the Institute. Members will be invited to serve for overlapping terms of up to five years. All non-Federal members of this committee serve as Special Government Employees. The quorum for the conduct of business by the full Board will consist of a majority of the currently appointed members.
SUBCOMMITTEES
As necessary, subcommittees and ad hoc working groups may be established by the DFO within the Board's jurisdiction. The advice/recommendations of a subcommittee/working group must be deliberated by the parent advisory committee. A subcommittee may not report directly to a Federal official unless there is statutory authority to do so.
Subcommittee membership may be drawn in whole or in part from the parent advisory committee. All subcommittee members may vote on subcommittee actions and all subcommittee members count towards the quorum for a subcommittee meeting. A quorum for a subcommittee will be three members. Ad hoc consultants do not count towards the quorum and may not vote. The Department Committee Management Officer will be notified upon establishment of each standing subcommittee and will be provided information on its name, membership, function, and estimated frequency of meetings.
RECORDKEEPING
Meetings of the Board and its subcommittees will be conducted according to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, other applicable laws and Departmental policies. Board and subcommittee records will be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other approved agency records disposition schedule. These records will be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
July 2024