Why is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) refreshing its Strategic Vision?
The NHLBI is refreshing its Strategic Vision to ensure it addresses emerging scientific opportunities in accordance with new National Institutes of Health (NIH) strategic plan requirements.
By design, the NHLBI Strategic Vision is dynamic, reflecting input from partners who are at the leading edge of scientific exploration and from communities with a vested interest. The NHLBI will harness community-level participation as part of updating the Strategic Vision.
What is the focus of the Strategic Vision refresh?
For the refresh of the Strategic Vision, the NHLBI invites input on the current relevance of the NHLBI strategic objectives and is considering whether additional compelling questions (CQs) and critical challenges (CCs) are needed to address topics that have surfaced as priorities over the past five years to drive important scientific and health advances.
CQs are unanswered questions or poorly understood areas of research requiring NHLBI facilitation because their complexity exceeds the capacity of any one investigator-initiated program.
CCs are barriers or impediments to scientific progress, and overcoming these obstacles will result in significant impact.
The NHLBI Strategic Vision is inclusive of a broad portfolio of scientific ideas spanning from basic science through implementation sciences. This refresh will adhere to the NHLBI’s commitment to scientific stewardship and accountability.
The NHLBI is seeking input on novel research needs and approaches in six focus areas:
- Harnessing data science and new technologies to drive scientific discovery and precision health.
- Using novel approaches for addressing health disparities and tackling their biological underpinnings for heart, lung, blood diseases, and sleep disorders.
- Leveraging the power of community and patient engagement.
- Furthering the science on the importance of lifestyle behaviors.
- Supporting women’s health through the lifespan.
- Addressing and reducing the impact of “place” (geography, climate, rural/urban, neighborhood) on heart, lung, blood, and sleep health.
How can I provide input for the Strategic Vision refresh?
The NHLBI is asking for input from constituents — including scientists, medical professionals, policymakers, patients and patient advocates, and professional groups — through an engagement period in fall 2023, which will feature a series of webinars, a request for information (RFI), and significant outreach online and at scientific and professional meetings.
REFRESHING THE NHLBI STRATEGIC VISION WEBINAR SERIES
Oct. 30–Nov. 6, 2023
The NHLBI will hold a series of webinars titled “Refreshing the NHLBI Strategic Vision” on Oct. 30 through Nov. 6 to share information and upcoming plans for the refresh and how constituents can provide input.
During each webinar, NHLBI leadership will review research progress. They will also discuss focus areas for the refresh, answer questions, and gather input and ideas. The series is free and open to everyone. Participants may join as many sessions as they wish.
Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science (CTRIS)
Monday, Oct. 30: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
George A. Mensah, M.D., FACC, CTRIS Director
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources (DBDR)
Tuesday, Oct. 31: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
Julie Panepinto, M.D., M.S.P.H., DBDR Director
Division of Lung Diseases (DLD)
Wednesday, Nov. 1: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
Gustavo Matute-Bello, M.D., DLD Deputy Director
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences (DCVS)
Thursday, Nov. 2: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
David C. Goff, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., DCVS Director
National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR)
Monday, Nov. 6: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET
Marishka K. Brown, Ph.D., NCSDR Director
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION NHLBI STRATEGIC VISION REFRESH
Oct. 23–Dec. 15, 2023
The NHLBI will also issue an RFI. The RFI will be widely communicated. Responses will be due by Dec. 15, 2023.
Desired input includes the following:
- Perspective on critical research needs or compelling research questions for any of the refresh focus areas.
- Perspective on challenges or barriers that need to be addressed to support progress in any of the refresh focus areas.
- The relevance of the eight objectives for the NHLBI Strategic Vision, and any critical questions or challenges that are not already incorporated in the NHLBI Strategic Vision.
ONLINE AND SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL MEETING OUTREACH
October–December 2023
The NHLBI will also conduct significant online outreach to constituents via its communications channels and will discuss the Strategic Vision refresh at a series of professional and scientific meetings in fall 2023. Stop by our exhibit booth to learn more:
- SACNAS, Oct. 26–28, Portland, Ore. Exhibit Days: Oct. 26–28
- American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, Nov. 1–5, Washington, DC Exhibit Days: Nov. 2–4
- American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions, Nov. 11–13, Philadelphia, Pa. Exhibit Days: Nov. 11–13
- American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting, Nov. 12–15, Atlanta, Ga. Exhibit Days: Nov. 12–14
- Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Conference, Nov. 11–15, Washington, DC Exhibit Days: Nov. 12–15
- ABRCMS, Nov. 15–18, Phoenix, Ariz. Exhibit Days: Nov. 16–18
- Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation, Dec. 10-13, Arlington, Va. Exhibit Days: Dec.10–13
- American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, Dec. 9–12, San Diego, Calif. Exhibit Days: Dec. 9–11
For more information, including to register for a webinar or respond to the RFI, visit nhlbi.nih.gov/VisionRefresh.
What else will be included in the updated Strategic Vision?
In addition to feedback from the NHLBI’s diverse partners through the RFI process, discussions from meetings, past presentations, and other communications materials will be reviewed and considered as part of the refresh.
Through this input process, the refreshed Strategic Vision will reflect the community’s best ideas while keeping the NHLBI’s strategic research priorities adaptable to scientific advancements and opportunities.
What remains current in the Strategic Vision?
The NHLBI’s Strategic Vision is evergreen in that its four goals and eight objectives that were identified in 2016 remain current.
Four strategic goals:
- Understand Human Biology
- Reduce Human Disease
- Advance Translational Research
- Develop Workforce and Resources
Eight strategic objectives:
- Understand normal biological function and resilience.
- Investigate newly discovered pathobiological mechanisms important to the onset and progression of heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
- Investigate factors that account for differences in health among populations.
- Identify factors that account for individual differences in pathobiology and in response to treatments.
- Develop and optimize novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent, treat, and cure heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
- Optimize clinical and implementation research to improve health and reduce disease.
- Leverage emerging opportunities in data science to open new frontiers in research for heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
- Further develop, diversify, and sustain a scientific workforce capable of accomplishing the NHLBI’s mission.
When will the refreshed Strategic Vision be published?
The NHLBI will publish a refreshed Strategic Vision in Summer 2024. It will be available on the NHLBI website and promoted to the community by the NHLBI and its partners.
Where can I learn more about the NHLBI’s Strategic Vision?
To download a copy of the 2016 Strategic Vision, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/strategic-vision.
To learn more about the Strategic Vision refresh, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/VisionRefresh.
Who should I contact with questions about the NHLBI Strategic Vision?
If you have questions about the NHLBI Strategic Vision refresh, please email nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.gov.