The Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic

Initiatives (OPASI)

Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhDDeputy Director

National Institutes of HealthDepartment of Health and Human Services

National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse September 20, 2006September 20, 2006

What NIH Does Well: Priority Setting at the Institute and Center Level

NIAID Plan

NIAID Plan

Breast Cancer Plan

Breast Cancer Plan

Individual IC Plans:Can involve more than one IC, but are not truly trans-NIH

Each of the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers

NIAID NIAID CouncilCouncil

NCINCICouncilCouncilFunding Approval

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases (NIAID)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders

and Stroke (NINDS)

NINDS Plan

NINDS Plan

NINDSNINDSCouncilCouncil

NCINCI NINDSNINDS

NIMHNIMH

NIAMSNIAMS

NHGRINHGRI

NIANIA

NICHDNICHD

NIDCRNIDCR

NIDANIDA

NIEHSNIEHS Research can begin

Search for support from others at NIH

The Problem: Ad Hoc Approach to Trans-NIH Research

Trans-NIHresearch idea

Research can begin

OPASI and Common Fund

The Solution: Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives (OPASI)

Trans-NIHresearch idea

Provides new opportunity for more trans-NIH dialogue, decision making and funding

Why Does NIH Need OPASI?OPASI will:

Offer transparent, systematic processes for:–Determining how much NIH spends on research related to

specific diseases and conditions–Assessing scientific opportunities and public health needs

and integrating them into trans-NIH-wide funding priorities–Coordinating funding of research areas that cut across all

or fall between the missions of individual Institutes and Centers

Improve evaluation of the effectiveness of our programs

Allow NIH to be nimble, dynamic, and responsive to emerging scientific opportunities and public health needs

What is OPASI’s Mission?

To provide NIH Institutes and Centers with the methods, tools, and information necessary to improve management of their large and complex scientific portfolios

To identify -- in concert with multiple other inputs -- important areas of emerging scientific opportunities or rising public health challenges

To help accelerate investments in these areas, focusing on those involving multiple Institutes and Centers

To coordinate and make more effective use of NIH-wide evaluation processes

OPASIOPASIDirectorDirector

Division of Evaluation Division of Evaluation and Systematic and Systematic

AssessmentsAssessments(DESA)(DESA)

Division of Strategic Division of Strategic CoordinationCoordination

(DSC)(DSC)

Division of Resource Division of Resource Development Development and Analysisand Analysis

(DRDA)(DRDA)

NIH Steering Committee NIH Steering Committee OPASI OPASI

Working GroupWorking Group

NIH NIH DirectorDirector

Structure of OPASI

Develop and use analytic tools and information, like:

Knowledge management

Public health need/burden of illness

Strategic coordination of NIH-wide planning

Provide an “incubator space” for trans-NIH initiatives

NIH Roadmap

Plan, conduct, coordinate, and support program evaluations for:

ICs Trans-NIH initiatives GPRA PART

How New Initiatives are ChosenHow New Initiatives are Chosen

Scientific Consultation Meetings

NIH Staff NIH Staff IdeaIdeaSubmissionsSubmissions

Web-basedWeb-basedPublic Input/ Public Input/ CommentComment

Now Summer ‘06 Fall ‘06

IC Directors

IC Directors

NIH Director

NIH Director

ACDACD

Decision Decision to Fund to Fund Scientific Scientific InitiativeInitiative

Wh

o W

hat

Wh

en

Scientists from academia and industry, Public Representatives

NIH Institute , Center and OD Program Office Director/Staff

Broad science and lay communities

Consultation Meetings in ProgressConsultation Meetings in Progress

Pre-meeting:

Consultants post ideas for new

initiatives in an on-line Commons

Room

Meeting:

Session 1: Consultants

introduce ideas

Session 2: Discussion/

identification of top ideas

Session 3: Synthesis/ Prioritizing

Evaluation

Post Meeting:

‘Top Ideas’

submitted for consideration as new Roadmap

initiatives

Evaluation

Results indicated overall positive

responses to the goals, approach and quality of the

discussion

Your Input:On-line Request for Information

Asking for comment on ideas generated by:

Consultation meetings

NIH Staff

Asking for new ideas

Goes live this Fall

http://opasi.nih.gov/http://opasi.nih.gov/

Council of CouncilsMission: to advise the IC Directors during

the OPASI selection process

Made up of ~30 members

Includes representatives from each Institute, Center, and OD Program Office Advisory Council, and the NIH Council of Public Representatives (COPR)

ICs and OD program offices will nominate 3 candidates

–2 scientists

–1 lay member

NIH Director will make final selections, ensuring representation of a broad range of disciplines and perspectives

Provides formal structure to pool resources to address trans-NIH research priorities and fill knowledge gaps

Will be a more efficient and effective means of doing business than tapping each of the ICs on an ad hoc basis each time there is a trans-NIH priority

Roadmap funds are the Common Fund starting point

In FY2007, the Common Fund will be ~1.6% of the total NIH budget

Common Fund will increase to up to 5% of the total NIH budget, contingent upon growth of the NIH budget and identified trans-NIH scientific opportunities and public health needs

Common Fund for Shared Needs

NEINEI

NCINCI

NHLBINHLBI

NLMNLM NINDSNINDS

NIMHNIMH

NIAMSNIAMS

NCCAMNCCAM

NHGRINHGRI

NIANIANIAAANIAAA NICHDNICHD

NIDCDNIDCD

NIDCRNIDCR

NIDDKNIDDK

NIDANIDA

NIGMSNIGMS

NIBIBNIBIB

NCMHDNCMHD

FICFIC

NIAIDNIAID

NCRRNCRR

NINRNINR NIEHSNIEHS

OPASI-approved Initiative

$$$

Expanding Roadmap Funding Prototype

$ $

$ $ $

$$

ODOD

Common FundCommon Fund

OPASI Will Use Current NIH Grant Review and Grant Management Structure

Common Fund Common Fund provides provides capitalcapital

$$

$

Lead IC(s) provide scientific management

Researchers provide results

OPASI Process for Implementation of Trans-NIH Initiatives Note: 10 year Maximum for Initiative in OPASI

Funded Initiative Assign Lead ICFTEs & $ Assignedto Lead IC for Duration of Initiative

Evaluation Planning Begins (Assemble Evaluation Team)

Budget Sources Finalized

Assemble Team to Oversee

Trans-NIH Effort

PlanningPlanning

Develop and Issue RFAs/RFPs

Lead Council(s) Review Proposals

Grants/Contracts Funded

Implement Grants Management StructureOutlined in Business Plan

GrantingGranting

* Indicates Key Decision Point

Annual ReviewOf Initiative

Major Review at 3 or 4 Year Mark

Decision Every 4 or 5 years

RenewedRenewed1 5-year Renewal 1 5-year Renewal

AllowedAllowed

Continued byICs

ReviewingReviewing

Completed

**

OPASIOPASI

A novel approach to assure that NIH is more effective and more efficient in meeting its mission as the nation’s medical research agency

StakeholdersEvaluation

IC Directors

Burden of Illness Data

OD Program Offices

Council of Councils

IC Directors

OPASI

NIHDirector

Advisory Committee to the Director

Approval to FundApproval to FundInitiativeInitiative

Regular Roadmap-like Planning Process

Portfolio Analysis