Amended Charter of the NIDCR Special Grants Review Committee

AUTHORITY

42 U.S.C. 282(b)(16), section 402(b)(16) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.  The Special Grants Review Committee (IRG) is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. app.), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES

The IRG reviews grants and cooperative agreement applications and contract proposals for research projects and for research and training activities in areas relevant to dental and craniofacial conditions and diseases.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The IRG provides advice and recommendations on the scientific and technical merit of applications for grants-in-aid for research, research training, or research-related grants and cooperative agreements, or contract proposals relating to scientific areas relevant to the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of dental and craniofacial diseases that include both basic and clinical research. The members will survey as scientific leaders, the status of research and research training in their fields.

AGENCY OR OFFICIAL TO WHOM THE COMMITTEE REPORTS

The IRG will advise to the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director, National Institute Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). 

SUPPORT

Management and support services will be provided by the Scientific Review Branch, 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 IRG.  Each standing subcommittee will be assigned a Scientific Review Official (SRO).  In the event that the DFO or SRO cannot fulfill the assigned duties, one or more full-time or permanent part-time NIDCR or NIH employees will be assigned these duties on a temporary basis.

The DFO or SRO will approve or call all of the IRG’s or subcommittee’s meetings, prepare and approve all meeting agendas, attend all IRG 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 the Director, NIDCR.  

ESTIMATED NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS

The full IRG will meet in plenary session as called by the DFO and meetings of each subcommittee will be held approximately three times within a fiscal year.  Meetings will be open to the public unless 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.  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 FACA, a report will be prepared which will contain, as a minimum, a list of members and their business addresses, the IRG’s functions, dates and places of meetings, and a summary of IRG 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 IRG is authorized by statute with no specified end date.

TERMINATION

In accordance with 42 U.S.C. 282(b)(16), section 402(b)(23), FACA does not apply to the duration of this peer review group.  The Director, NIH determines if the IRG should be terminated.

MEMBERSHIP AND DESIGNATION

Members, the Chair, and the Chairs of its subcommittees will be selected by the Director, NIH, or designee, from authorities knowledgeable in the various disciplines and fields relating to the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of dental and craniofacial diseases that include both basic and clinical research.

Members will be invited to serve for overlapping terms of up to six years.  All non-Federal members serve as NIH Peer Review Consultants.

The permanent membership of the IRG may be supplemented at any meeting through temporary members who have experience or expertise in the disciplines and fields related to the IRG’s function and are appointed to review some or all of the applications considered at that meeting.  The individual will have all the rights and obligations of IRG membership at that meeting, including the right to vote on recommendations in which the individual fully participated as a reviewer.  Temporary members will not count towards a quorum.  A quorum for the conduct of business by the full IRG is five members. 

SUBCOMMITTEES

As necessary, standing and ad hoc subcommittees composed of members from the parent committee and working groups may be established by the DFO to perform specific functions within the IRG’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.  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.  A quorum for each subcommittee will be five members.

RECORDKEEPING

Meetings of the IRG and its subcommittees will be conducted according to FACA, other applicable laws and Departmental policies.  IRG 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.

FILING DATE

APPROVED:             

__________________                                           _____________________    
Date                                                                            Acting Director, NIH