Division of Extramural Research Activities

The Office of Committee Management (OCM) provides leadership, guidance, and resources to current and prospective committee members, the public, and those managing federal advisory committees at the NHLBI, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center (CC). The NHLBI OCM operates as a service center for the operational and administrative management, including ethics activities, of all NHLBI and client Institute Federal advisory committees that participate with the NHLBI Committee Management Service Center. It is also responsible for the administration of the NHLBI and client institute Scientific Review and Evaluation Activities (SREA) program, which provides the mechanism by which the members of the grant, cooperative agreement, and contract initial review committees are reimbursed. Lastly, the OCM Conference Management Team consults, plans, assists, and executes various types of meetings, symposia, workshops, and conferences.

The Office of Extramural Policy and Training (OEPT) promotes and supports effective and accountable leadership and stewardship of the Institute’s extramural research portfolio through the Initiative Development Process; generation of sound policies, procedures, and guidance; opportunities for training and enrichment of extramural staff; and the development and continuous evaluation of NHLBI’s extramural programs.

The Office of Grants Management (OGM) manages all business-related activities associated with the negotiation, award, and administration of grants and cooperative agreements within the NHLBI. OGM works directly with the grantee business official, principal investigator, and NHLBI review, financial management, and program staff to manage the Institute's research portfolio and provide timely and accurate awards. OGM ensures that both federal staff and grantees fulfill applicable statutory, regulatory, and administrative policy requirements. The Chief Grants Management Officer serves as the principal grants official for the NHLBI and provides leadership to the extramural community on grants policy, regulations, and guidelines for the submission, funding, and oversight of research grants.

The NHLBI Office of Scientific Review is the focal point for Institute-conducted initial scientific merit review of applications to support program projects, multi-center clinical trials, training and career development programs, research centers, and large trans-NIH programs such as the Regenerative Medicine Innovation Projects. The Office also provides technical merit review of research and development contract proposals. View the NHLBI Advisory and Peer Review Committee rosters.

The NHLBI Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination (OTAC) helps a diverse pool of extramural academic and small business innovators accelerate the transition of their new and promising discoveries into biomedical products that prevent, diagnose, and treat heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders.

OTAC coordinates and serves as a central point of contact for the NHLBI Small Business Program, which includes both Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) activities. OTAC also facilitates alliances with federal and private sector partners and offers resources and advisory services to support biomedical innovators. In addition, OTAC contributes to collaborative projects and initiatives within NHLBI and across NIH that support innovators.

The NHLBI Referral Office (RO) develops, implements, and manages procedures for assigning new applications to the NHLBI; re-assigning applications to and from other NIH Institutes and Centers; changing the locus of peer review of applications; and assigning non-standard application receipt dates. The RO handles about 12,000 applications annually and is the NHLBI primary point-of-contact with the Division of Receipt and Referral in the Center for Scientific Review. In addition, the RO is responsible publishing funding opportunity announcements for the Institute once initiatives have been approved by the NHLBAC.

The DERA's Office of the Director directs and coordinates all activities of the Division and serves as the focal point of contact with other NHLBI components, NIH Institutes, and external organizations in DERA-related areas.