CHAPTER 5: Scientific Research <strong>and</strong> DevelopmentAs a result <strong>of</strong> success in preventing <strong>and</strong> treating acute<strong>and</strong> short- term conditions such as heart attacks,stroke, cancer, <strong>and</strong> many infectious diseases, peopleare living longer. The increasingly older populationfaces the new challenge <strong>of</strong> multiple chronic conditionsthat now consume about 75 percent <strong>of</strong> health careexpenditures. The Nation is in a continuous raceagainst the overwhelming health <strong>and</strong> economicconsequences <strong>of</strong> disease <strong>and</strong> human suffering.Therefore, we must utilize research <strong>and</strong> development toits maximum capacity to transform health care, publichealth, <strong>and</strong> human service practice efforts.The 21st century is an era <strong>of</strong> great scientific opportunity.Advances in the underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> basic human biologyallowed NIH to sequence the human genome by 2003, 2years ahead <strong>of</strong> schedule, <strong>and</strong> to complete the haplotypemap, showing the variation between individualhumans, in October 2005. New advances enable newtreatments that could lead to the transformation <strong>of</strong>medical treatment in this century. The hope is tousher in an era in which medicine will begin to bepredictive, personalized, <strong>and</strong> preemptive. Personalizedmedicine has the potential to transform health carethrough earlier diagnosis, more effective prevention <strong>and</strong>treatment <strong>of</strong> disease, <strong>and</strong> avoidance <strong>of</strong> drug side effects.Basic science is the foundation for improved health <strong>and</strong>human services. However, once a basic discovery ismade, the findings must be applied <strong>and</strong> translated intopractice for health <strong>and</strong> human service improvement toresult. This continuum from basic <strong>and</strong> applied researchto practice is a significant emphasis <strong>of</strong> HHS’s scientificresearch <strong>and</strong> development enterprise.Strategic Goal 4, Scientific Research <strong>and</strong> Development,seeks to connect this path from basic research topractice through four broad objectives:• Strengthen the pool <strong>of</strong> qualified health <strong>and</strong>behavioral science researchers;• Increase basic scientific knowledge to improvehuman health <strong>and</strong> development;• Conduct <strong>and</strong> oversee applied research to improvehealth <strong>and</strong> well-being; <strong>and</strong>• Communicate <strong>and</strong> transfer research resultsinto clinical, public health, <strong>and</strong> human servicepractice.A number <strong>of</strong> HHS operating <strong>and</strong> staff divisions,including the Agency for <strong>Health</strong>care Research <strong>and</strong>Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control <strong>and</strong>Prevention (CDC), Food <strong>and</strong> Drug Administration(FDA) <strong>and</strong>, most significantly, the National Institutes<strong>of</strong> <strong>Health</strong> (NIH), sustain <strong>and</strong> contribute to a fullspectrum <strong>of</strong> scientific research <strong>and</strong> developmentactivities.NIH supports <strong>and</strong> conducts investigations acrossthe full range <strong>of</strong> the health research continuum,including basic research, which may be diseaseoriented or related to the development <strong>and</strong>application <strong>of</strong> breakthrough technologies;observational <strong>and</strong> population-based research;behavioral research; prevention research; healthservices research; translational research 15 ; <strong>and</strong>clinical research, 16 as well as research on newtreatments or prevention strategies.FDA supports the research <strong>and</strong> development goal asa scientific regulatory agency. It is responsible forprotecting the public health by assuring the safety,efficacy, <strong>and</strong> security <strong>of</strong> human <strong>and</strong> veterinary drugs,biological products, medical devices, <strong>and</strong> the Nation’sfood supply. FDA also ensures the safety <strong>of</strong> cosmetics<strong>and</strong> products that emit radiation. FDA advances thepublic health agenda by helping to speed innovationsto market that make medicines more effective <strong>and</strong> toprovide the public accurate, science-based informationneeded regarding medicines <strong>and</strong> foods to improve itshealth. FDA plays a significant role in addressing theNation’s counterterrorism capability <strong>and</strong> in ensuringthe security <strong>of</strong> the food supply. FDA conducts applied<strong>and</strong> translational research that enables it to developregulatory st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> risk assessment criteria toreach sound, science-based public health decisionson regulated products. All <strong>of</strong> these activities areconducted in collaboration with numerous public<strong>and</strong> private partners, including academic researchinstitutions; nonpr<strong>of</strong>it foundations; <strong>and</strong> vaccine,pharmaceutical, <strong>and</strong> medical device industries.15 Translational research involves the application <strong>of</strong> laboratoryfindings to clinical interventions.16 Clinical research includes research to underst<strong>and</strong> both normalhealth <strong>and</strong> disease states.114 HHS Strategic Plan FY 2007-2012
CHAPTER 5: Scientific Research <strong>and</strong> DevelopmentCDC focuses primarily on epidemiological <strong>and</strong> publichealth practice research. AHRQ has establisheda broad base <strong>of</strong> scientific research <strong>and</strong> promotesevidence-based improvements in clinical practice<strong>and</strong> in the organization, financing, <strong>and</strong> delivery <strong>of</strong>health care services.Below is a description <strong>of</strong> each strategic objective,followed by a description <strong>of</strong> the key programs,services, <strong>and</strong> initiatives the <strong>Department</strong> isundertaking to accomplish those objectives.Although HHS supports a wide array <strong>of</strong> research <strong>and</strong>development activities, these represent the majorareas <strong>of</strong> the emphasis for the <strong>Department</strong> over thenext 5 years. Key partners <strong>and</strong> collaborative effortsare included under each relevant objective. Theperformance indicators selected for this strategicgoal are also presented with baselines <strong>and</strong> targets.These measures are organized by objective. Finally,this chapter discusses the major external factorsthat will influence HHS’s ability to achieve theseobjectives, <strong>and</strong> how the <strong>Department</strong> is working tomitigate those factors.HHS Strategic Plan FY 2007-2012115
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