Overview
Four goals broadly define the NHLBI's vision.
Eight objectives provide a framework that help address one or more of those goals.
Five crosscutting themes run throughout the objectives and address complex areas of critical need.
More than 130 compelling questions and critical challenges reflect research priorities that support the goals, objectives, and crosscutting themes.
There is an increased focus on ensuring that our science meets the needs of all, with deeper attention to eliminating health disparities among various populations and communities across the country that experience a more significant burden from chronic diseases and conditions.
Strategic Goals
The NHLBI’s Strategic Vision revolves around four mission-driven goals:
- To understand human biology in order to promote health and resilience;
- To reduce human disease by stimulating discovery about the causes of heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders;
- To advance translational research by swiftly moving basic research findings to further discoveries, and into clinical practice; and
- To develop a strong workforce and resources by fostering the training and mentoring of emerging scientists and physicians.
Strategic Objectives
Eight objectives propel heart, lung, blood, and sleep sciences forward by identifying the research opportunities and strategic investments needed in areas ripe for discovery.
Crosscutting Themes
Five crosscutting themes span all eight objectives and represent complex scientific challenges that require strategic support to create significant biomedical advances.
Harnessing data science and new technologies
Harnessing data science and new technologies to drive scientific discovery and precision health
Addressing Health Disparities
Using novel approaches for addressing health disparities and tackling their biological underpinnings for heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
Importance of Lifestyle
Furthering the science on the importance of lifestyle behaviors.
Community and Patient Engagement
Leveraging the power of community and patient engagement.
Women's Health
Supporting women's health through the lifespan
Compelling Questions and Critical Challenges
Compelling questions (CQ) and critical challenges (CC) are conceptual tools that help more fully explore challenges and opportunities related to the goals, objectives, and crosscutting themes.
CQs are unanswered questions or poorly understood areas of research that require broad NHLBI support because their complexity exceeds the capacity of any one investigator-initiated program.
CCs are barriers or impediments to scientific progress that, if overcome, will result in significant advances in biomedical knowledge.