December 31, 2008

In 2008, the NIAMS began developing a new long-range plan for fiscal years 2010-2014 to provide a broad outline of opportunities and needs related to the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately, prevention of diseases within the Institute's mission areas. As part of this process, the NIAMS hosted a series of roundtable discussions to get input and guidance from the scientific community about areas of research to include in the new plan. The roundtables were organized around five tissue- and disease-specific themes:

Meeting participants were asked to consider the following questions:

  • What have been the top three advances within the past five years?
  • What are the three most promising areas of science?
  • What are the three most pressing scientific needs?
  • What are the three greatest challenges, other than workforce issues, to research progress? What are the potential options for overcoming these challenges?
  • What gaps in training have delayed progress in critical research areas?
  • What innovative, creative approaches are needed to transform the understanding of health disparities?

Discussion at each roundtable expanded on the feedback compiled by its participants, as well as that which members of the larger community submitted via a Web-based Request for Comments. Brief summaries are available through the links above.

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