The Board on Health Sciences Policy (HSP) works to ensure that adequate attention is paid to the science base underlying health and health care. In particular, the Board is concerned with both public and private policies and with institutional affairs that shape health sciences research and facilitate the application of new knowledge. In conducting these activities, consideration is given to the ethical, legal, and social contexts of scientific and technologic advances, and to the balance between scientific opportunities and public needs.
HSP provides findings and recommendations that are used by government agencies and public organizations alike. Its work helps guide medical and scientific research and helps to identify priorities for the nation. Among the areas of emphasis are: biomedical and clinical research, human subject protections, medical and public health preparedness, neuroscience, genomics, and drug discovery, development, and translation.