Several COPR Members Join the NIH Plain Language Evaluation and Awards Subcommittee
August 2003–2007 / Bethesda, Maryland
COPR members participate as reviewers and judges for consumer-oriented products produced by NIH communications offices and entered into the NIH Plain Language Awards Program. Early in its efforts, the NIH formed a Plain Language Coordinating Committee (PLCC). The PLCC plays a key role in encouraging the use of plain language by developing and offering training, providing plain language resources, and sponsoring an annual awards program. Previous and current participants include James Armstrong, Ruth Browne, Sc.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., Barbara Butler, Linda Crew, R.N., M.B.A., Frances Dunston, M.D., M.P.H., Rafael Gonzalez-Amezcua, M.D., Ellen Grant, Debra S. Hall, Ph.D., Nicole Johnson, M.A., M.P.H., Nicolas Linares-Orama, Ph.D., Ted Mala, M.D., M.P.H., Michael Manganiello, M.P.A., Marjorie Mau, M.D., M.S., Rodrigo A. Muñoz, M.D., Dawna Torres Mughal, Ph.D., Ann-Gel Palermo, M.P.H., Leonard Tamura, Ph.D., Zelda Tetenbaum, and Donald Tykeson.
COPR's Mala Advises NLM on Native American Outreach Coordination
August 12–December 31, 2004 / Bethesda, Maryland
COPR Member Ted Mala, M.D., M.P.H., advised the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in the coordination of their Native American outreach program. NLM has sponsored a variety of health information outreach activities to Native American communities. The sponsorship of these outreach activities is motivated in part by the understanding that American Indian and Alaska Native communities experience significant health disparities. NLM's varied effort, both directly and through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, has focused on improving tribal awareness of, access to, and use of Web-based health information, including but not limited to NLM's health information resources. The first outreach program for the reservations took place in South Dakota in late August 2003.
COPR Member Mala Plans and Moderates NCCAM's Seattle Stakeholder Forum
April 19, 2004 / Seattle, Washington
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) held Stakeholder Forums so the public could have input into its 5-year strategic planning process, and COPR Member Ted Mala, M.D., M.P.H., helped to plan the Forum in Seattle. Mala, who works in Alaska as Director of Tribal Relations for the Southcentral Foundation, also moderated at the event.
The Forums are open to anyone who wants to voice their opinions regarding NCCAM's future directions for research, training, outreach, and integration in complementary and alternative medicine. The listening panel will comprise NCCAM senior staff and National Advisory Council members. Anyone who cannot give remarks at the Forums may submit written testimony online. NCCAM recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and launched its second 5-year strategic planning effort. To learn more about the Forums, please visit http://nccam.nih.gov/about/plans/stakeholder/.
COPR Member Tamura Participates in NCCAM's Washington DC Stakeholder Forum
March 22, 2004 / Bethesda, Maryland
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) organized Stakeholder Forums so the public could have input into its 5-year strategic planning process, and COPR Member Leonard Tamura, Ph.D., helped to support these efforts for the Forum in Washington, DC. He also moderated at the event.
NCCAM's Stakeholder Forums are open to anyone who wants to voice their opinions regarding NCCAM's future directions for research, training, outreach, and integration in complementary and alternative medicine. The listening panel comprises NCCAM senior staff and National Advisory Council members. NCCAM celebrated its fifth anniversary and launched its second 5-year strategic planning effort. To learn more about the Forums, please visit http://nccam.nih.gov/about/plans/stakeholder/.
COPR's Sigal Receives Exceptional Volunteer Advocate Award
March 16, 2004 / Washington, DC
COPR Member Ellen V. Sigal, Ph.D., was honored with Research!America's 2004 Award for Exceptional Contributions as a Volunteer Advocate. Dr. Sigal, who is founder and chairperson of Friends of Cancer Research (FCR), is recognized for bringing both grassroots and top-down influence to bear on the nation's policy for accelerated research funding.
Dr. Sigal, who is also President of CCR's Creative Community Task Force for Cancer Research, has received other awards in the past for her cancer advocacy efforts, including the 1998 American Association for Cancer Research National Leadership Award, the 1999 Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center National Leadership Award, and the 2002 American Society of Clinical Oncology Special Recognition Award.
COPR's Sadwin is Selected for NIH Panel on Conflict of Interest Policies
February 19–May 6, 2004 / Bethesda, Maryland
On February 19, 2004, COPR member Lawrence Sadwin was appointed to the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel on Conflict of Interest Policies. Dr. Elias Zerhouni, M.D., established the panel to examine the guidelines governing consulting activities of NIH scientists. The panel is a working group of the NIH's Advisory Committee to the Director and is co-chaired by Bruce Alberts, Ph.D., President of the National Academy of Sciences, and Norman R. Augustine, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. Seven other distinguished experts are also on the 10-member panel. (See http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2004/od-22.htm and http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/feb2004/od-19.htm)
NIH Director Zerhouni said, "I look forward to the Panel's recommendations on how best to ensure complete transparency, full disclosure, independent review, and continuous monitoring of activities." The panel's first meeting was March 1 - 2. The panel also presented a report to Dr. Zerhouni in May 2004. (See http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/feb2004/od-25.htm.)
COPR Member Butler Talks to Psoriasis Groups About COPR
February 4–10, 2004 / Washington, DC
COPR Member Barbara Butler gave three presentations about the COPR and its activities while in Washington DC to attend the American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting February 4–10. She spoke to the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Advisory Board and the Psoriasis Expert Resource Group, which want to communicate information about the COPR to their patients and relay to COPR their experiences with the NIH’s research priority setting process. Ms. Butler also made a presentation to the Patient Advocate for Skin Disease Research Group, which comprises patient advocates. In each instance, Ms. Butler sought to learn about the group’s experiences in dealing with the NIH.
COPR's Tetenbaum Serves on NIAAA Advisory Panel for Policy Outreach Contract
August 1, 2003 –December 31, 2004
COPR Member Zelda Tetenbaum, M.Sc., served as a member of the advisory panel for the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse's (NIAAA) Policy Outreach Contract by NIAAA Director Ting-Kai Li, M.D. The NIAAA is responsible for designing and implementing a broad range of outreach activities to advance the field of alcohol abuse and alcoholism through linkages among the research, prevention, and treatment components of the field. Seven individuals with different backgrounds, expertise, and experience—in areas such as education, policy, communications, and translating research findings into useful information for non-scientists—were chosen for the panel. Panel members help guide the Institute in its planning and decision process regarding the work conducted under the Policy Outreach Contract. This contract provided support to NIAAA's outreach and policy activities that focus on fostering collaborations and "research to practice" efforts.
Sadwin Serves as COPR Liaison to the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD)
June 20, 2003–March 31, 2004 / Bethesda, Maryland
COPR Member Larry Sadwin is serving as the COPR Liaison to the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) meetings. Mr. Sadwin and COPR members Debra Hall and Bob Roehr were invited to present a summary of the COPR's goals and activities at the December 2002 ACD meeting. During the December ACD meeting, it was suggested that one COPR member be appointed to serve as the regular liaison between the two NIH Director's Councils to help encourage regular updates and communications between the two groups. At the June 2003 ACD meeting, the NIH Director asked Mr. Sadwin to serve as the official COPR liaison to the ACD for the remainder of his COPR term. Mr. Sadwin attended the December 2003 ACD meeting in his new capacity as the official COPR liaison to the ACD.