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APPENDIX A 15 APPENDIX A LETTER OF SOLICITATION March 16, 1993 Judson Sheridan Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School University of Missouri Columbia,Missouri Dear Dr. Sheridan: A continuing goal of our national research effort is to sustain the quality of biomedical and behavioral research. To achieve this goal we must maintain research training environments of high quality and sufficient stability to assure the future availability of skilled research personnel. The National Research Service Awards Act of 1974 established a Federal program of predoctoral and postdoctoral training support to meet national needs for biomedical and behavioral scientists. At the same time, the Act requested that the National Academy of Sciences undertake a continuing study of personnel needs in this area and that they report on a regular basis to the U.S. Congress, the National Institutes of Health, and related agencies regarding future training needs in this area. The National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, recently established the Committee on National Needs for Biomedical and Behavioral Research Personnel which we are privileged to chair. The committee recently met for the first time and concluded that it would be useful to solicit the views of our colleagues in the scientific and educational communities as we formulate our recommendations for the future direction of the NRSA program. To that end, we have arranged to convene a Public Hearing on May 3, 1993, at the NAS Auditorium, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C. The one-day meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 6:00 p.m. During the hearing, 35 individuals will provide brief testimony on research training needs in various component fields at the invitation of the Committee. There will be opportunities for other audience members to offer comments during periods of âOpen Discussionâ scheduled throughout the day. Testimony will address research training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, the clinical sciences, nursing research, and health services research.
APPENDIX A 16 Owing to your longstanding interest in research training issues in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, we would like to invite you to submit a two or three-page letter no later than March 29, indicating your preliminary thoughts in reaction to these four questions: 1. What is the most significant challenge we face today in the United States for maintaining an adequate supply of qualified scientists to sustain and advance health research? 2. What improvements might be made in the National Research Service Awards program to assure a continuing supply of skilled investigators in the biomedical and behavioral sciences in the coming years? 3. What steps might be taken to improve the effectiveness of the NRSA program in recruiting women and minorities into scientific careers? 4. What features of the NRSA training grant might be strengthened to assure the maintenance of higher quality research training environments? The Committee is also aware of significant changes that have come about in employment opportunities for bioscientists in industry and other types of nontraditional research settings. Relative to the research training areas of interest to you, we would also be interested in knowing whether you believe current employment opportunities have resulted in (or might be expected to result in) new research training strategies in the biosciences? What are the implications of those new strategies for the NRSA program? We hope that you will take the opportunity to assist in our effort to gather the views of experts in the bioscience community by sending us a letter no later than March 29 to: National Research Council Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel Studies and Surveys Unit 2101 Constitution Avenue NW Building 2133--202 (BBRP) Washington, DC 20418 The Committee has designated an ad hoc panel to review the responses and to select the 35 individuals who will be invited to address the Committee at its May 3 hearing. We regret that we cannot accommodate more than 35 speakers plus commentary from the audience. However, be assured that all Committee members will receive for review the full set of materials generated by this letter of invitation when they are received. If you have any further questions about the Public Hearing, please telephone Rob Murphy at 202/334-3982 for any further information about the meeting. We know you share our concern that we provide a strong program of research training through the National Research Service Awards program and look forward to your suggestions for achieving that goal. Sincerely, Ira J. Hirsh Co-Chair John D. Stobo Co-Chair
