Director's Council of Public Representatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Nomination ProcessHow many nominations do you receive, and how should they be addressed? We receive between 75 and 100 complete nominations. They should be sent to: NIH Director How do I find out whether my nomination package has been received, is complete, and has been added to the pool? Nominees should contact Emily Krebbs at COPR1@palladianpartners.com with all selection-related questions. I am a physically challenged person with limited typing ability. How much effort is involved in filling out the nomination? Although there is no electronic mechanism for submitting nominations, you can submit your nomination by email. You can also have assistance from others to complete the nomination form. Could you explain a bit more about what it means to be a Conditional Appointee? New nominees are required to complete appointment forms and financial disclosure forms to ensure that there are no conflict-of-interest issues. The Human Resources Office process and review of the financial disclosure information can take considerable time. Therefore, the nominees are considered conditional until all paperwork is satisfactorily completed and cleared by the Human Resources Office and the NIH Ethics Office. Your appointment is effective once the documents are cleared. Letters of RecommendationIn selecting someone to write a letter of recommendation, is it preferable to choose someone who represents a larger entity (i.e., a national organization instead of a local one)? The letters of recommendation are designed to give insight into how you meet the nomination criteria, your experience, and your constituency, so it is best to choose someone who can provide that kind of information, regardless of entity size. It is most helpful to have letters from individuals who the candidate knows well. The letters should give NIH information on the candidate’s work in the community, leadership ability, and collaboration skills. Can more than one person sign a letter of recommendation? Yes, but only one organization should be represented in each letter. Should letters of recommendation be included in the nomination package and mailed together or sent directly from the person signing the recommendation? Either option is acceptable.May a letter of recommendation come from someone who works at NIH? Yes. The main thing is to obtain letters of recommendation that address your ability to meet the selection criteria and explain why you would be an asset to the Council. What is the optimal number of letters of recommendation? Candidates should submit two letters of recommendation. Selection ConsiderationsWhat is the maximum number of Council members? The maximum number of Council members is 21. How do you maintain cultural diversity on the Council? Each nominee brings unique qualities, so we do not try to match member for member. We look at a wide range of criteria that includes the specific type of expertise needed on the Council in a given year, in addition to geographic, ethnic, and racial factors. There is no single criterion except having an interest in NIH and the COPR. How does the geographical area of the nominee affect the selection process? We seek to have good geographical representation and are constantly working to balance this. Geography is one component, but it is not the deciding factor. Other considerations include professional background, constituency, and racial and ethnic diversity. If the Council already includes a representative from my state, am I disqualified from membership? We do consider geographic distribution in selecting new members, but because we also look at so many other areas of background and experience, we do not limit the Council to just one member from any geographic area. If I work for a private organization that has an NIH contract, can I be on the COPR? In most situations this would not be a problem. However, certain restrictions may apply based on an individual’s previous relationship with NIH. Also, there could be conflict-of-interest “appearance” issues if the contractor performed functions with the same Institute or Center the Council member would advise. Situations will be reviewed on a case-by-case situation. Do you consider nominees who are in the earlier stages of their careers, such as graduate students? Absolutely. We have a variety of ages and experience on the Council and all bring a unique wealth of understanding and perspective, which is what makes the COPR so rich. Can a recipient of an NIH grant be considered for COPR membership? Several past and current COPR members are NIH-supported investigators. The only caveat is that investigators, like all COPR members, must put aside their specific scientific interest when engaging in COPR discussions and activities. Also, like all COPR members, scientists on the COPR must be engaged directly with the public. Can COPR members who are also NIH grantees apply for new grants during their term? Yes, there is no prohibition on applying for new grants while serving on the COPR. However, the member must be able to clearly separate the two roles and there must be no indication of actual or perceived conflict of interest. Can someone who is not a health care professional but is active in the community become a member of the COPR? We would welcome your nomination. Your credentials as a member of the public are extremely important to us, and we have previously had COPR members who did not have health professional backgrounds. As a federal employee, am I eligible to serve on the COPR? Yes. Your nomination should describe your work in health, your interest in NIH and COPR, and how you can bring the NIH message to the public and the public’s voice back to NIH. What federal employment process must COPR nominees undergo? COPR members are special government employees on the days on which they serve as COPR members. As special government employees and members of a federal advisory committee, they must complete human resources documentation as well as a financial disclosure form to demonstrate that they have no conflicts of interest. Typically, nominees attend the April COPR meeting as conditional appointees, and they are confirmed as special government employees by the October meeting. Is a current special government employee eligible to become a COPR member? A special government employee currently serving on a national advisory council and/or a program advisory committee is eligible to serve on the COPR as long as service does not violate other existing policies, such as excessive service. Patient AdvocacyHow does NIH treat patient advocacy? The COPR is very involved with ensuring that patients are well informed and have the opportunity to provide input on the research process. Patient advocacy representatives are invited to COPR meetings, and their broad concerns are included in the issues that are taken to the Director. COPR Work Groups and ActivitiesWhat are some of the COPR work groups? Current COPR work groups include the Role of the Public in Research Work Group, the Agenda Work Group, and the Communications Work Group, which is exploring creative and varied ways to get information to the public. What are some COPR accomplishments? The Council will soon be celebrating its 10-year anniversary. During its first decade, the Council has made a significant impact on NIH’s outreach and public engagement efforts. One very recent COPR accomplishment involved the NIH strategic vision, which initially included three “Ps”: preemptive, predictive, and personalized. The COPR ensured that a fourth “P,” participatory, was added to the list to emphasize the importance of public involvement in NIH programs. The COPR has also helped develop language for funding opportunity announcements that involve issues of public interest; contributed to the NIH communications strategy through brochures, newsletters, Web sites, videocasts, and podcasts; participated in the NIH Public Trust Initiative and efforts to enhance the agency’s peer-review process; and participated in planning sessions for priority areas, such as the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, disease categorization, and nanotechnology This year, the Partners in Research Award program credited the COPR for its work on engaging communities in research. Finally, a current COPR member and a COPR alumnus recently published an article in a peer-reviewed journal. COPR accomplishments also include formal reports as well as recommendations made at each Council meeting. You may view reports at http://copr.nih.gov/reports.asp. Meeting summaries, which contain Council discussions and recommendations, are available at http://copr.nih.gov/meetings.asp. What kinds of activities do COPR members participate in? Does the Council conduct any programs outside Washington, DC? COPR members engage in many outreach activities, including making presentations to groups wishing to learn more about NIH. These presentations are geared toward the specific interests of the groups and might include such topics as becoming involved in clinical trials, the role of the COPR, and the benefits of clinical research. Outreach may also include working with NIH to develop more comprehensive outreach programs. Many COPR members are actively involved in health communications activities in their communities. Some disseminate information from health promotion programs, such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Red Dress campaign. COPR members also collect input on NIH research questions from their community organizations and promote public input opportunities among their constituents. NIH provides COPR members with materials to use in their communities. More activities are listed at http://copr.nih.gov/activities.asp. What role do COPR members have in terms of working with other advisory groups at NIH? COPR members have been connected with other advisory groups at NIH under various capacities. For example, a COPR liaison works closely with the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD), and an ACD liaison works with the COPR. The two liaisons share information and perspectives throughout the year and make presentations on current activities to their sister committees. COPR members have also participated in meetings of the National Cancer Institute Director’s Consumer Liaison Group and have presented to other advisory councils of the NIH Institutes and Centers. Most recently, a COPR alumna was invited to join the National Advisory Research Resources Council of the National Center for Research Resources. Does COPR engage in international activities? The work of NIH includes health matters in both the United States and in many other nations. However, the COPR focuses predominantly on the United States. There has been some contact with the international community in the area of public involvement, but this has been limited to information sharing. Are COPR members ever asked to keep information confidential, or is it a completely public process? Generally, information given to the COPR is meant to be shared with the public. This is a key role for the COPR: to bring the public’s voice to NIH and to carry the NIH message out to the public. If Council members change jobs or organizations during their terms, can they remain on the Council? Members can remain on the Council if they change jobs or organizations during their term as long as there are no conflicts of interest. Member Time CommitmentHow much time do COPR members typically spend on COPR-related work? COPR members attend two in-person meetings each year on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The April meeting includes an orientation day for new members, a work group day, and a formal meeting day with the NIH Director. The October meeting includes a work group day and a formal meeting day. In addition, COPR work group co-chairs typically spend approximately 10 hours each month on work group tasks, and work group members generally devote approximately two to five hours per month to work group activities. COPR Associates ProgramCan I re-apply if I am not chosen to serve on the COPR? Yes, anyone can re-apply. Be sure that your nomination responds specifically to the criteria that the COPR is looking for. Additionally, all COPR nominees who are not selected for the Council are invited to become COPR Associates and are added to the COPR listserv to receive information about emerging issues and activities at NIH. They are also invited to participate on review panels, and we are currently looking at even more engagement for the Associates. What is involved with being a COPR Associate? How do I bring issues to the attention of the Council? COPR Associates are added to the COPR listserv and receive information about emerging issues and activities at NIH. They are also invited to participate on review panels, and we are currently looking at even more engagement for the Associates. In the meantime, email any suggestions to Emily Krebbs of Palladian Partners at COPR1@palladianpartners.com, and she will forward them to NIH for the Council. I am a COPR Associate. Will my nomination be automatically resubmitted for the next nomination process? Your previous nomination will not be automatically resubmitted. You do have the option of resubmitting your previous nomination. This year, the selection criteria have changed slightly, and you should ensure your nomination responds accordingly.
This page was last reviewed on September 17, 2009. |
