Organizational Structure

Serves as the focal point for the Institute's communications, public affairs, media relations, and public liaison activities; Develops and conducts a comprehensive communications program utilizing various communications vehicles to interpret, develop, test, and disseminate the programs, policies, goals and research accomplishments supported and carried out by the NIMHD to diverse audiences including the public, the media, the biomedical community, healthcare providers, and specialized groups; Develops short and long-term communications policies, goals, objectives, and strategies in support of the mission and priorities of the Institute; Manages the Institute's Web site including content, policies, standards, guidelines, and a central web-based resource for information and research findings on minority health and health disparities; Coordinates NIH communications activities related to minority health and health disparities in collaboration with the Institutes and Centers; Coordinates and manages the Institute's intranet content; Manages correspondence control, and clearance services for the Institute; Coordinates and collaborates with other organizational components on health communications research activities.

Serves as the focal point for NIMHD's science policy, strategic planning and evaluation activities; Provides leadership for the development of strategic plans, policies, goals, objectives, and techniques in support of the Institute's mission; Coordinates, develops, and implements an on-going strategic planning process for the Institute and ensures that the Institute has a long-range, sustainable vision and program plan for carrying out its mandates; Leads the Institute's efforts to plan, coordinate, review, and evaluate research and other activities on minority health and health disparities conducted or supported by the NIH Institutes and Centers, consistent with the NIMHD's authorizing statute; Provides leadership for the development of an integrated and effective NIH health disparities strategic plan and budget consistent with the authorizing statute; Provides leadership for the legislative activities of the Institute which includes analyzing and tracking legislation relevant to the mission of the Institute and makes recommendations for legislative proposals; and Conducts and coordinates policy analysis related to various aspects of minority health and health disparities.

Directs, coordinates, and conducts administrative activities of the Institute including personnel and staffing, purchase and maintenance of equipment and supplies, and acquisition and management of space; Performs analytical studies related to the administrative organization, processes and procedures of the Institute and establishes effective administrative controls; Designs and conducts management analyses, studies and surveys including manpower utilization, workload measurement, work simplification, etc. for all parts of the Institute; Develops and/or provides advice on the development and implementation of general administrative policies, procedures and guidelines throughout the Institute; Interprets, analyzes, and makes recommendations concerning delegations and re-delegations of program and administrative authorities, and develops appropriate delegating documents; Supervises, directs, manages, and coordinates the planning and execution of the Institute's budget process and financial management operations which includes providing guidance to Institute leadership and staff on budget preparation and management; Oversees the records management activities of the Institute; Coordinates the Institute's committee management functions; and Oversees and coordinates the Institute's information technology (IT) activities.

Responsible for the administration of the Institute's extramural research dealing with peer review activities, grants management, extramural grants policy, and ethics issues (patient rights, animal rights, financial conflict of interest, etc.); Facilitates Institute-wide communication and coordination regarding extramural policy, planning, and analysis; Provides advice and guidance to the Director regarding the Institute's peer and objective review processes as well as NIH extramural programs, policies and procedures; Recommends mechanisms to be used or develops mechanisms to accomplish program objectives; Provides leadership to program, review, and grants management staff in writing solicitations for grants and contracts and reviews funding opportunity announcements for clearance; Develops, implements, and manages integrated policies and procedures affecting all NIMHD extramural activities, and assures appropriate training, information dissemination, and systems, for NIMHD extramural staff and the extramural research community; Interprets, advises, and ensures NIMHD staff adherence to and understanding of impact of NIH and DHHS extramural policies; Represents the Institute as liaison for NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts and NIH Early Notification System (ENS); and Administers the PHS Guidelines on Misconduct in Science and manages the Institute's Confidentiality Certificate program, and the Grant Appeals Process.

Provides leadership for the Institute's intramural research program to prevent, diagnose, treat and understand diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect population experiencing health disparities ; Plans, develops, and conducts innovative trans-disciplinary research focusing on the linkage between biological and non-biological determinants of health in populations experiencing health disparities to include basic, behavioral, social sciences and clinical research; Develops, coordinates and implements training and career development programs in minority health and health disparities research; Collaborates with and coordinates intramural research on minority health and health disparities conducted by the Institutes and Centers; Integrates new research into the Institute's program structure; and Provides advice to the Institute Director and staff on matters of scientific interest to the Institute.

Provides leadership for knowledge management and scientific reporting; Maintains a Health Disparities Information (HDI) database to facilitate the collection, interpretation, and analysis of data, education, dissemination, and communication of information to various audiences in collaboration with other Institute organizational components; Collaborates with the Office of Science Policy, Legislation and Strategic Planning to analyze and synthesize data on minority health and health disparities research conducted and supported by the Institutes and Centers; Coordinates reporting requests on the Institute and NIH activities on minority health and health disparities research; Provides epidemiological and statistical expertise for the Institute on planning, designing, and implementing research studies, and to support research programs; Coordinates data collection activities and reporting on minority health and health disparities including the Institute's implementation of relevant policies, regulations, and laws; Provides advice to the Institute senior management and program officials on data collection standards and guidelines; Coordinates Institute activities under the Privacy Act; and Administers the Institute's Freedom of Information Act activities.

Serves as the focal point for planning, directing, implementing and managing the Institute's extramural research programs including its legislatively mandated extramural research programs and other research, research training, research capacity building, career development, and community-based participatory research initiatives; Manages a diverse portfolio of special projects with respect to minority health conditions and other populations with health disparities; and Determines program priorities and recommends funding strategies to achieve program goals.