Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 12:50:34 +0500 From: ghfostel{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghfostel}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com Subject: NIH Program Evaluation Working Group DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Notice of Meeting Notice is hereby given of the meeting of the NIH AIDS Research Program Evaluation Working Group Area Review Panel on Natural History, Epidemiology, and Prevention Research on October 17, 1995 from 1 pm to 5 pm at the Holiday Inn Bethesda, 8120 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting will be open to the public from 2 pm to 5 pm, and the closed portion will be from 1 pm to 2 pm. The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 authorizes the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) to evaluate the AIDS research activities of NIH. The NIH AIDS Research Program Evaluation Working Group was established by the OAR to carry out this major evaluation initiative, reviewing and assessing each of the components of the NIH AIDS research endeavor to determine whether those components are appropriately designed and coordinated to answer the critical scientific questions to lead to better treatments, preventions, and a cure for AIDS. Six Area Review Panels were also established to address the following research areas: Natural History and Epidemiology; Etiology and Pathogenesis; Clinical Trials; Drug Discovery; Vaccine Research; and Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. The purpose of the meeting is to seek input from individuals and organizations interested in the evaluation of AIDS research in the areas of natural history, epidemiology, and biomedical (nonbehavioral) intervention and prevention. Examples of areas under consideration by the panel include risk factors and mechanisms of HIV transmission; the progression of HIV-related disease from primary infection through long-term consequences and sequelae; cohort studies of HIV-infected persons and HIV- uninfected persons at high risk of acquiring the infection; biomedical methods for HIV prevention and control, including topical microbicides; and treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases as a means of HIV control. The NIH AIDS Research Program Evaluation Working Group will develop recommendations to be made to the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council that address the overall NIH AIDS research initiatives, both intramural and extramural, and identify long-range goals in the relevant areas of science. These recommendations will provide the framework for future planning and budget development of the NIH AIDS research program. There will be a closed session from 1 pm to 2 pm to update the Panel members on priviledged information on institute and center grant and contract portfolios. The open session from 2 pm to 5 pm will begin with a brief overview of panel activities by members of the panel. The remainder of the meeting will be devoted to presentations from individuals and organizations. The session is open to the public; however, attendance may be limited by seat availability. Comments should be confined to statements related to the current status of NIH AIDS research in the areas of natural history, epidemiology, and biomedical prevention and recommendations for consideration by the panel in assessing and reviewing the relevant research in these areas. Only one representative of an organization may present oral comments. Each speaker will be permitted 5 minutes for their presentation. Interested individuals and representatives of organizations must submit a letter of intent to present comments and three (3) typewritten copies of the presentation, along with a brief description of the organization represented, to the attention of Dr. Sandra L. Melnick, Office of AIDS Research, NIH, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2340, Building 31, Room 5C08, Bethesda, MD 20892-2340, (301) 402-2932, FAX: (301) 402-7769. Letters of intent and copies of presentations must be received no later than 5 pm EDT on October 10. Individuals wishing to provide only written statements should send three (3) typewritten copies of their comments, including a brief description of their organization, to the above address no later than 5 pm EDT on October 12. Statements submitted after that date will be accepted. They may not, however, be made available to the Area Review Panel prior to the meeting, though they will be provided subsequently as written testimony. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodations, should contact Dr. Melnick in advance of the meeting.