6026 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 23 / Thursday, February 4, 2016 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases; Notice of Closed 

Meeting 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of the following meeting. 

The meeting will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

Allergy and Infectious Diseases Special 

Emphasis Panel; NIAID Peer Review Meeting. 

Date: February 26, 2016. 

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, Room 

3C100, 5601 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 

20892 (Telephone Conference Call). 

Contact Person: Brenda L. Fredericksen, 

Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Scientific Review 

Program, Division of Extramural Activities, 

Room # 3G22A, National Institutes of Health/ 

NIAID, 5601 Fishers Lane, MSC 9823, 

Bethesda, MD 20892–9823, (240) 669–5052, 

brenda.fredericksen@nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.855, Allergy, Immunology, 

and Transplantation Research; 93.856, 

Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 

Research, National Institutes of Health, HHS) 

Dated: January 29, 2016. 

Natasha M. Copeland, 

Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02051 Filed 2–3–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute (NHLBI) Strategic Visioning: 

Draft Strategic Research Priorities; 

Request for Comments 

SUMMARY: The National Heart, Lung, and 

Blood Institute (NHLBI) is soliciting 

comments from the public on its Draft 

Strategic Research Priorities, which will 

help inform Institute-solicited research 

activities over the next decade. The 

draft document is available through the 

NHLBI Strategic Visioning Web site 

(https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/

documents/strategic-visioning/publiccomment-period). 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be received by March 7, 

2016. 

ADDRESSES: The Draft Strategic Research 

Priorities can be viewed here: (https:// 

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/documents/

strategic-visioning/public-commentperiod). Please email comments to 

NHLBI_Vision@mail.nih.gov. Email 

comments are preferred, but comments 

may also be submitted by regular mail 

to: NHLBI Office of the Director, Attn: 

Strategic Visioning Team, National 

Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 

Building 31, Room 5A48, 31 Center 

Drive MSC 2486, Bethesda, MD 20892. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dana Camak, Executive Assistant, Office 

of Science Policy, Engagement, 

Education, and Communications at the 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute, NIH, 31 Center Dr., Building 

31, Room 4A10, Bethesda, MD 20892– 

2480. Telephone: 301–496–4236. Email: 

NHLBI_Vision@mail.nih.gov. Additional 

information may be obtained at 

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/

documents/strategic-visioning/publiccomment-period. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

For more than 60 years, the NHLBI 

has supported research to reduce the 

burden of heart, lung, blood, and sleep 

disorders and diseases. For example, 

long-term research investments in 

cardiovascular basic, clinical and 

population sciences have contributed to 

a 78% decrease in death rates due to 

coronary heart disease, a greater 

understanding of the complexity of 

chronic lung disease, and to an increase 

in life expectancy for persons with 

sickle cell disease from 14 years to 40– 

60 years. However, heart, lung, and 

blood diseases remain leading causes of 

death for American men and women, 

and we face ongoing health challenges 

such as an aging population, rising 

health care costs, and continued gender 

and racial disparities. 

Over the last year, NHLBI has been 

engaged in a Strategic Visioning process 

that engages the NHLBI community to 

inform Institute-solicited research 

activities. The goals for the Strategic 

Visioning process span the NHLBI 

mission and include research on health 

and disease in heart, lung, blood, and 

sleep systems; the translation of 

research for prevention, diagnosis, and 

treatment of diseases; and the support of 

training and resources for biomedical 

researchers across the landscape. 

The strength of the NHLBI’s Strategic 

Visioning process rests in the collective 

input of the diverse perspectives within 

the heart, lung, blood, and sleep 

community, including, but not limited 

to, scientists, academic institutions, 

patient communities, and the general 

public, allowing these stakeholders the 

opportunity to identify and catalyze 

areas where targeted investments are 

needed. In spring of 2015, the 

community identified scientific 

opportunities (Compelling Questions, or 

CQs) and barriers to research progress 

(Critical Challenges, or CCs) facing 

heart, lung, blood, and sleep research. 

NHLBI leadership, staff, and advisory 

groups reviewed the ideas to identify 

the highest priorities for the Institute 

based on timeliness, feasibility, and 

overall ability to advance the fields of 

study. 

Ultimately, more than 1,000 ideas 

were submitted to the Strategic 

Visioning Forum. Ideas came from all 50 

states and from countries across the 

globe, representing diverse perspectives 

of scientists, academic institutions, 

patient communities, and the general 

public. 

Together the NHLBI, its Board of 

Extramural Experts, and the NHLBI 

Advisory Council, refined and 

synthesized the CQs and CCs as 

appropriate, and organized them under 

Objectives. The resulting CQs and CCs, 

as delineated in the Draft Strategic 

Research Priorities document, address 

important research avenues and support 

the Institute’s strategic goals. The Draft 

Strategic Research Priorities document 

is not meant to encompass NHLBI’s 

entire research portfolio, but instead is 

meant to reflect those areas of study that 

are currently deemed to be the most 

important, timely, and feasible for the 

Institute to address in its targeted/

solicited research portfolio in the next 

decade. 

Request for Comments 

This notice invites public comment 

on NHLBI’s Draft Strategic Research 

Priorities. We seek diverse perspectives 

including, but not limited to, that of 

patients, patient advocates, clinicians, 

and researchers, as well as federal 

agencies and for-profit and not-for-profit 

stakeholders. The comments will be 

important factors in finalizing the 

document and thereby shaping NHLBI’s 

Institute-solicited future research 

directions. 

Privacy Act Notification Statement: 

Responses to this notice are voluntary. 

Respondents are advised that the 


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