The following are excerpts from the final legislation and/or conference report which contain National Academies' studies. (Pound signs [##] between passages denote the deletion of unrelated text.)

HR717 Wicker (R-Miss.) 11/29/01

Enrolled (finally passed both houses)

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for research with

respect to various forms of muscular dystrophy, including Duchenne,

Becker, limb girdle, congenital, facioscapulohumeral, myotonic,

oculopharyngeal, distal, and Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophies.

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SEC. 7. STUDY ON THE USE OF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AT THE NATIONAL

INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.

(a) REVIEW.-Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this

Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter into a

contract with the Institute of Medicine for the purpose of conducting a

study and making recommendations on the impact of, need for, and other

issues associated with Centers of Excellence at the National Institutes of

Health.

(b) AREAS OF REVIEW.-In conducting the study under subsection (a), the

Institute of Medicine shall at a minimum consider the following:

(1) The current areas of research incorporating Centers of

Excellence (which shall include a description of such areas) and the

relationship of this form of funding mechanism to other forms of funding

for research grants, including investigator initiated research, contracts

and other types of research support awards.

(2) The distinctive aspects of Centers of Excellence, including the

additional knowledge that may be expected to be gained through Centers of

Excellence as compared to other forms of grant or contract mechanisms.

(3) The costs associated with establishing and maintaining Centers

of Excellence, and the record of scholarship and training resulting from

such Centers. The research and training contributions of Centers should be

assessed on their own merits and in comparison with other forms of

research support.

(4) Specific areas of research in which Centers of Excellence may be

useful, needed, or underused, as well as areas of research in which

Centers of Excellence may not be helpful.

(5) Criteria that may be applied in determining when Centers of

Excellence are an appropriate and cost-effective research investment and

conditions that should be present in order to consider the establishment

of Centers of Excellence.

(6) Alternative research models that may accomplish results similar

to or greater than Centers of Excellence.

(c) REPORT.-Not later than 1 year after the date on which the contract is

entered into under subsection (a), the Institute of Medicine shall

complete the study under such subsection and submit a report to the

Secretary of Health and Human Services and the appropriate committees of

Congress that contains the results of such study.

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