Process

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Table of Contents:

• Taskforce Rosters and Steering Committee

NINDS launched the current strategic planning process in early 2019.  Through this process, the Institute aimed to identify priority goals and objectives for NINDS to ensure its operations and investments advance the NINDS mission and cultivate a culture of scientific excellence and organizational health.  As the Institute grows and adapts in response to the complex needs of the public, the strategic planning process allows NINDS to 1) identify and reinforce practices, policies, activities, and actions that advance our mission, and 2) identify practical ways to improve and innovate in order to better serve the research community and the public.
To begin, the NINDS leadership formulated overarching goals focused on four broad topics:

1. Science: Support and perform rigorous and important neuroscience research.
2. Training and Diversity: Fund and conduct neuroscience research training and career development programs to ensure a vibrant, talented, and diverse neuroscience workforce.
3. Communications: Promote dynamic communication and diverse stakeholder engagement to accelerate scientific progress and reduce the burden of neurological disorders.
4. Workforce Culture: Create and sustain a supportive work culture for the NINDS workforce that becomes the model for biomedical research and the neuroscience community.

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The Institute charged Task Forces (see Appendix) made up of staff from across NINDS and NIH to focus on each of these goals.  Over a period of several months, each Task Force performed a thorough assessment of the current NINDS landscape and the existing practices and policies to help inform the goals and strategies discussed in this plan.

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NINDS also sought input from a wide variety of stakeholders at several points throughout the planning process.  In July 2019, NINDS published a Request for Information (RFI) to gather public input regarding the four broad strategic goals. NINDS received 95 responses from a range of groups, including principal investigators, researchers, trainees, patients, patient advocates, professional societies, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, other research institutions, science administrators, and members of the public.  In addition, there were multiple discussions with the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council and the deputy director, Dr. Nina Schor, presented the plan at various meetings, including the annual NINDS Nonprofit Forum and with professional societies, to gather additional input.  Further, NINDS held a series of six external discussion panels of individuals offering their insights on basic research(pdf, 233 KB), therapy development(pdf, 197 KB), training, diversity, career development - (Trainee Discussion Panel Summary(pdf, 273 KB); Basic Science Faculty Discussion Panel Summary(pdf, 241 KB); Clinical Faculty Discussion Panel Summary(pdf, 276 KB)), and communication (pdf, 210 KB) strategies. A draft of the NINDS Strategic Plan was published for public comments from February 15, 2021 to April 15, 2021. A summary of responses(pdf, 183 KB) can be viewed here.

Taskforce Rosters and Steering Committee

Extramural Science Taskforce

Shanta Rajaram, PhD (co-lead)
Christine Torborg, PhD (co-lead)
Richard Benson, MD, PhD
Chuck Cywin, PhD
Karen David, PhD
Kurt Fischbeck, MD
Jim Gnadt, PhD
Amelie Gubitz, PhD
Adam Hartman, MD
Smriti Iyengar, PhD
Scott Janis, PhD
Dave Owens, PhD
Khara Ramos, PhD
Shai Silberberg, PhD
Carol Taylor-Burds, PhD
Bob Zalutsky, PhD

Intramural Science Taskforce

Christine Torborg, PhD (co-lead)
Richard Youle, PhD (co-lead)
Devon Crawford, PhD
Antonina Roll-Mecak, PhD
Mary Kay Floeter, MD, PhD
Lucy Forrest, PhD
Mark Hallett, MD
Rosalind Hayden, BSN, RN
Sara Inati, MD
Steve Jacobson, PhD
Zayd Khaliq, PhD
Codrin Lungu, MD
Christopher McBain, PhD (NICHD)
Katherine Roche, PhD
Andrew Singleton, PhD (NIA)
Chris Thomas, PhD
Eric Wassermann, MD
Catherine Weisz, PhD (NIDCD)
Kareem Zaghloul, MD, PhD
 

Training and Diversity Taskforce

David Jett, PhD (co-lead)
Cara Long, PhD (co-lead)
Craig Blackstone, MD, PhD
Andrew Breeden, PhD
Rita Devine, PhD
Kristin Dupre, PhD
Lucy Forrest, PhD
Michelle Jones-London, PhD
Jim Koenig, PhD
Steve Korn, PhD
Marguerite Matthews, PhD
Ernie Lyons, PhD
Cristina Saugar Lanchas, PhD
Susan Wray, PhD
 

Support Staff for all Taskforces

Jenny Kim, PhD
Liza Litvina, PhD

Communication Taskforce

Sara Dodson, PhD (co-lead)
Alissa Gallagher, MPH (co-lead)
Emily Caporello, PhD
Robin Conwit, MD
Angel de la Cruz Landrau, PhD
Jeff Diamond, PhD
Tim Lyden
Cindy McConnell (NIA)
Glen Nuckolls, PhD
Mara Olenick, PhD
Scott Prince (NIH OD)
Bob Riddle, PhD
Anna Taylor, PhD
Michael Tennekoon, PhD

Workforce Culture Taskforce

Mary Coats, MBA (co-lead)
Sophia Jeon, PhD (co-lead)
Kelly Baker
Richard Benson, MD, PhD
Emily Carifi, PhD
Liz Conklin, MBA
Paul Girolami
Brooks Gross, PhD
Richard Hawkins
Zayd Khaliq, PhD
Christine Koch Paiz
Sahana Kukke, PhD
Lauren Ullrich, PhD
Judith Walters, PhD
Eric Wassermann, MD
Matthew White
Maureen Gormley, MPH, PhD, RN (ex-officio)

Steering Committee

Amy Adams, PhD
Robert Finkelstein, PhD
Maureen Gormley, MPH, PhD, RN
John Heiss, MD
Lyn Jakeman, PhD
Avindra Nath, MD
Lorna Role, PhD
Nina Schor, MD, PhD
Paul Scott, PhD
Amir Tamiz, PhD
Clinton Wright, MD

Leadership & Coordination Group

Nina Schor, MD, PhD
Paul Scott, PhD
Christine Torborg, PhD
Jenny Kim, PhD
Liza Litvina, PhD