Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Progress toward establishing a mechanism to ensure sufficient management and budgetary
authority to develop and implement an EHS research strategy among NNI agencies
The committee reviewed the NNI's 2011 research strategy and its 2013 budget supplement,
which show considerable progress in coordination among NNI agencies on EHS research. Favorable
developments include the addition of FDA and CPSC research programs to the NNI's EHS budget
“crosscut”, an increased focus by the Nanotechnology Environmental Health Implications working group
on identifying opportunities for cross-agency collaborations, joint solicitations and funding of research by
multiple NNI agencies, and clearer tracking of research against the NNI's broad goals and designated
program component areas. The NNI strategy and budget documents also identify numerous plans to foster
additional interagency collaboration, although the extent to which the plans have been or are being
implemented appears to be limited on the basis of input received by the committee at its November 2012
workshop and discussions with NNCO staff.
However, as highlighted in the committee's first report, the need extends well beyond better
coordination among NNI agencies, a role that the NNCO is fulfilling. Therefore, the committee identified
as an indicator of progress the establishment of a mechanism that would have sufficient management and
budgetary authority to ensure implementation of the NNI's EHS research strategy. The committee has not
discerned substantial progress on this indicator, so it is marked red.
The committee is not alone in raising the need for a more centralized and accountable authority.
In its fourth assessment of the NNI, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
(PCAST 2012) noted the “lack of integration between nanotechnology-related EHS research . . . and the
kind of information policymakers need to effectively manage potential risks from nanomaterials” (p. vi);
it called on the NNI to establish “high-level, cross-agency authoritative and accountable governance” (p.
viii) even as it acknowledged changes made to enhance coordination of research efforts among NNI
agencies. Similarly, a recent Government Accountability Office report (GAO 2012) that reviewed the
NNI's research strategy and associated activities identified substantial instances of interagency research
collaborations 13 but also the absence of “outcome-related performance measures, targets or time frames
that allow for monitoring and reporting on progress toward meeting the research needs” (p. 46).
The 2012 PCAST review of the NNI made several specific recommendations for OSTP to
strengthen the NNCO “to broaden its impact and efficacy and improve its ability to coordinate and
develop NNI programs and policies related to those programs” (p. 19; italics added). With respect to
program management, the review noted that “PCAST is concerned that the agency representatives
appointed to the NSET Subcommittee do not have a level of authority within their agencies to influence
budget allocations needed to meet NNI objectives” (p. vi), reiterating the 2010 PCAST recommendation
that OSTP “require each agency in the NNI to have senior representatives with decision-making authority
participate in coordination activities of the NNI” (p. 39). The NNI's response to the 2010
recommendation is included in its 2013 budget supplement (NSET 2012a) under the heading
“Recommendations considered but actions unlikely or not needed” (p. 61); this indicates that the NNI
considers its current structure to be sufficient and intends to maintain it.
The committee remains concerned about the absence of a clear, central convening authority in the
NNI structure and considers it a serious gap in the NNI's ability to implement an effective EHS research
strategy.
Extent to which the NNCO is annually identifying funding needs for interagency collaboration
on critical high-priority research
13 A helpful list of collaborative agreements between NNI agencies is provided as Appendix II of the GAO
report. It is notable, however, that many of the agreements date back several years, and none is listed as having been
initiated in 2012; this suggests that momentum in the activity may have waned recently.
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