The members must have individual expertise as scientists and administrators, and knowledge and interest in health policy issues. Partisan political considerations should have no place in the choice of members for the board. The members of the board should be capable of considering the national interest in health research in the broad sense. They should not be chosen to represent any particular group or constituency. In order to promote the development of consensus and to emphasize the fact that the members are not representatives, the committee recommends that the board have only six members.
Successful institutions tend to cling to their past successes and resist change.
Periodic review by an independent outside group can help counter this tendency. In this respect, the Health Science Board could be a potent force for organizational renewal and vitality for NIH and the other agencies of the Public Health Service. The committee recommends that, to preserve its independence, the board elect a chair from among its members, and have its own budget and sufficient staff to prepare agenda and compile background materials. Many of the issues that would come before the board, such as proposals for new institutes, terminations, or transfers, require more intense and thorough attention than the board alone could provide. In such cases, the board must have the authority and resources to establish appropriate study groups or panels.