Minutes of the NIH Academy Working Group Meeting
November 19, 1999

3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Shannon Building Room 151

Present:

Dr. Garcia-Perez, Co-Chair

Ms. Andrews, Exec.Secy.

Dr. Bonifacino

Mr. Morales (for Ms. Chruchill-Earp)

Ms. Hanning

Dr. Owens

Dr. Johnson

Dr. Rabson

Dr. Kaplan

Dr. Shaffer

Dr. Kleinman

Dr. Ruffin

Dr. Loh

Dr. Yakel

Absent:

Dr. Cadet

Ms. Naomi Churchill-Earp, OEO

Dr. Landis

Dr. Counts

Mr. Parker

Dr. Fojo

Dr. Poodry

Ms. Hedetniemi

Dr. Ruffin

Mr. Horowitz

Guests:

Ms. Doris Campos-Infantino, OO/CCR/OD

Dr. Matthew Rechler, OIR/NIDDK

Ms. Janis Mullaney, OIR

  1. Minutes of the October 15 meeting: The draft minutes were approved without modification.
  2. Report on the NIH Health Disparities Work Group: Dr. Garcia-Perez reported on this trans-NIH committee co-chaired by Drs. Olden, Ruffin and Slavkin. Dr. Gottesman is a member of the Work Group and Dr. Garcia-Perez has been participating in their weekly meetings with Dr. Gottesman or representing him in his absence. The Work Group was created in September 1999 to make recommendations regarding a NIH-wide program of research and training related to domestic health disparities. Within this charge, the Work Group had to develop a definition of "health disparities" and also the definition of the "population groups" of emphasis for an overall NIH agenda for action on health disparities. Dr. Garcia-Perez distributed the Work Group's latest draft (11/2/99) of these definitions to serve as a guidance for the NIH Academy Working Group in designing a health disparities curriculum.
  3. Subcommittees' Reports: Dr. Owens reported that the Focus Groups Subcommittee is revising the draft report before making it available to the whole NIH Academy Working Group by approximately January 2000. Dr. Garcia-Perez reported that the Implementation Subcommittee met three times in the last month. They recommended modifications to be made to the current on-line post-baccalaureate application (available through the OE/OIR training website) to include NIH Academy applicants. Subsequently, Ms. Hanning and Dr. Garcia-Perez met with the website contractor to discuss these changes and get a cost estimate. The Implementation Subcommittee also designed an evaluation form to be used to review and score the NIH Academy applications. The general admissions process would be as follows. Applications to the NIH Academy through the on-line post-baccalaureate application would be sent to the Admissions Subcommittee. A minimum of three Subcommittee members would review and score the applications. The application would then be recommended for the NIH Academy or not. Those not recommended would become part of the general post baccalaureate pool available for hiring by ICs. The applicants recommended for the NIH Academy would be interviewed by members of the Admissions Subcommittee and by potential laboratory preceptors. Appropriate matches would then be made. The Implementation Subcommittee also recommended that stipends for NIH Academy members be higher than the regular post-baccalaureate stipends in order to help them defray the cost of rent in the Bethesda area, where the NIH Academy would provide apartments in close proximity to each other to increase the interactions and peer mentoring among the participants. The Working Group members endorsed the recommendations of the Implementation Subcommittee. Dr. Garcia-Perez reported that Dr. Gottesman would present the proposal for the NIH Academy at his next meeting with the Scientific Directors on Wednesday, December 1, 1999.
  4. All-Day NIHAWG Meeting: Dr. Garcia-Perez reminded the members that this meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 18, 2000 at 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Stone House. The cost of lunch and coffee breaks will have to be defrayed by each participant. Therefore, it is necessary that we have an accurate head count and that the participants pay in advance. The cost per person will be $12. Ms. Doris Campos Infantino, currently in the Office of the Ombudsman, will be a facilitator for the all-day meeting. The principal subject of the all-day meeting will be the NIH Academy curriculum, principally the health disparities curriculum, since this is the most pressing issue on the NIH Academy implementation time line. If time allows, recommendations for the evaluation process for the NIH Academy will also be discussed at the all-day meeting.
  5. "Working Document about the NIH Academy" Draft: Dr. Garcia-Perez presented the latest draft dated 11/17/99. This revision incorporated the new recommendations of the Implementation Subcommittee. The salient points were discussed by the Working Group and minor revisions were added for presentation to Dr. Gottesman. Dr. Gottesman will review and revise this document for his presentation of the NIH Academy to the Scientific Directors on Wednesday, December 1, 1999. The Working Group forcefully expressed that it is imperative that an NIH Academy Director be appointed as soon as possible. Ms. Hanning volunteered to help write the position description for the NIH Academy Director using the recently written description for UGSP Director as a template. Mr. Horowitz will make that template available to Ms. Hanning and Dr. Garcia-Perez.

     

 
NIH Home Page | Search the SourceBook | Sourcebook Home Page | Table of Contents | Committees Advisory to the DDIR | NIH Academy Working Group | Comments
Revised: 12/21/99