This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop and maintain a biomedical research strategic plan.
The NIH must use the strategic plan to identify research opportunities and to develop individual strategic plans for each of the national research institutes and national centers. Strategic plans must identify strategic focus areas in a manner that considers the return on investment of biomedical research and contributes to expanding knowledge to improve the public's health. Strategic focus areas must include overarching Mission Priority Focus Areas, which serve the goal of preventing or eliminating the burden of a medical condition.
The NIH must: (1) ensure that rare and pediatric diseases and conditions remain a priority under the strategic plan, (2) publish the initial strategic plan within 270 days, (3) conduct progress reviews for each strategic focus area at least annually, and (4) update the strategic plan every five years.