Advisory Panel on Research (APR)

The original charter of the AAMC Advisory Panel on Research was approved in November 1998.  The updated charter below is as of October 2009.

Charter

Background

Biomedical, behavioral and health sciences research ranks among this nation's most critical priorities and key public investments. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and its members are committed to ensuring the continued strength of a broad-based national research program to improve the nation's health. Congress and the American public have also affirmed their strong support for continued progress in medical research through generous investments in the National Institutes of Health, the primary source of federal support for biomedical and health sciences research, as well as through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies. These agencies in turn are principal sponsors of research at AAMC member medical schools and teaching hospitals. Given the importance of this federal-academic partnership in medical research, it is incumbent upon the AAMC to represent the views of research institutions and individual scientists effectively and authoritatively, and to fulfill all responsibilities that this representation entails. To assist the Association in meeting this mandate, the AAMC established an advisory panel in 1991 to guide the Association's efforts in biomedical research advocacy, education, policy formulation, and strategy development.

In 2008, AAMC identified as a strategic priority to "strengthen the national commitment to discovery that promotes health and prevent disease and disability." We have identified five goals to align with that strategic priority:

Goal 1: Increase the awareness of the public, policy makers and our constituents of the value of the broad scope of research that spans fundamental discovery to clinical research to research in partnerships with communities to research on translation to practice.

Goal 2: Work with internal and external stakeholders to advocate for sustainable and predictable funding for the research enterprise.

Goal 3: Facilitate AAMC member institutions being identified as "research innovation zones," serving as international leaders in identifying and facilitating the development of innovative models of resource sharing, collaborations, efficient operations, and integration with the education and clinical mission, consistent with institutional values and goals.

Goal 4: Identify innovative models and practices to help develop and educate a diverse workforce and promote a broad spectrum of pathways to careers that improve health through discovery.

Goal 5: Promote integrity and accountability in research.

Membership

In order to reflect AAMC's vision, to respond to contemporary and evolving health and health care needs of the public, to emphasize innovation in research models and infrastructure, to help assure sustainability and social responsiveness of the research enterprise, and to align our activities with the strategic priorities, we have recently expanded the membership of the Panel.

The Panel shall be composed of members with expertise ranging from institutional leadership, broad scope of research to promote health, innovation and leadership in health care, and institutional infrastructure and resources for research. Members shall be appointed to staggered three-year terms.

Schedule and Agenda for the Panel

The Panel will meet a least twice each year to review contemporary issues in biomedical and health sciences research and recommend actions relevant to AAMC positions and priorities.

Staffing of the Panel

The major staff support for the Panel is being provided by the Association's Scientific Affairs Cluster, under the direction of Dr. Ann Bonham, AAMC Chief Scientific Officer. Stephen Heinig, Lead Science Policy Analyst serves as staff director, in partnership with other members of the Association as required.

Interaction with AAMC Officers

The Chair and Chair-Elect of the Association are ex-officio members of the Panel and will attend as many meetings as possible. In addition to the individuals mentioned above, Dr. Darrell Kirch, Association President and CEO, Dr. Carol Aschenbrener, Executive Vice President, and other AAMC executive staff will attend meetings of the Panel as available. Appropriate liaison will be maintained with the AAMC Councils and relevant professional development groups (including GREAT and GRAND).

For more information on the APR, contact Stephen Heinig, Lead Science Policy Analyst, Scientific Affairs, at (202) 828-0488 or via e-mail at sheinig@aamc.org.