MISSION

The mission of Health Sciences Policy (HSP) is to: foster an environment conducive to productive research; consider the impact of scientific advances on society, including the social and ethical issues that accompany basic science and technological advances; and ensure the continuous vigor of the basic biomedical, environmental, and clinical research enterprises as they relate to ensuring and improving the health of the public. Through its activities, HSP addresses issues related to the conduct of such research, the establishment of research priorities, and the infrastructural needs to support such activities. HSP includes focused emphases on issues related to:

• education of health and research professionals, and the general public,
• biomedical ethics,
• workforce adequacy,
• emerging fields of scientific research in the health sciences, including occupational and environmental health, and
• the relationship between science and regulatory decision making.

PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING YEAR AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The Board on Health Sciences Policy, which provides oversight and guidance to HSP, has identified two priorities for the coming year:

• to foster an environment conducive to productive research; and
• to anticipate the impact of scientific advances on society, including the social and ethical issues that accompany basic science and technological advances.

With these two priority areas to govern the HSP's overall direction, the Board has established a flexible set of "emphasis areas" in response to rapid changes in the health policy environment and shape the HSP's policy direction the near term:

• Biomedical Research Policy, with two components: Basic Biomedical research and Clinical Research
• Drug Development, Approval and Regulatory Processes
• Infrastructure to Support Biomedical Research
• Educating, Training, and Mentoring Health Professionals
• Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Advances in Biomedicine