NCCIH 2016 Strategic Plan

This plan outlines NCCIH’s strategic direction in complementary and integrative health research. It identifies five core objectives and presents a detailed assessment of opportunities and gaps in the Center’s current top priority areas.

The new strategic plan was developed during an 18-month planning process, with input from NCCIH staff, stakeholders, and scientific advisors, as well as guidance from the broader National Institutes of Health strategic plan.

A Message From the Director

Introduction

• The Use and Cost of Complementary Health Approaches in the United States
• Symptoms Matter—Leading Causes of Disability
• Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches in the United States, 2012

Objective 1: Advance Fundamental Science and Methods Development

• Advance understanding of basic biological mechanisms of action of natural products, including prebiotics and probiotics.
• Advance understanding of the mechanisms through which mind and body approaches affect health, resiliency, and well-being.
• Develop new and improved research methods and tools for conducting rigorous studies of complementary health approaches and their integration into health care.

Objective 2: Improve Care for Hard-to-Manage Symptoms

• Develop and improve complementary health approaches and integrative treatment strategies for managing symptoms such as pain, anxiety, and depression.
• Conduct studies in “real world” clinical settings to test the safety and efficacy of complementary health approaches, including their integration into health care.

Objective 3: Foster Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

• Investigate mechanisms of action of complementary and integrative health approaches in health resilience and practices that improve health and prevent disease.
• Study complementary health approaches to promote health and wellness across the lifespan in diverse populations.
• Explore research opportunities to study and assess the safety and efficacy of complementary health approaches in nonclinical settings such as community and employer-based wellness programs.

Objective 4: Enhance the Complementary and Integrative Health Research Workforce

• Support research training and career development opportunities to increase the number and quality of scientists trained to conduct rigorous, cutting-edge research on complementary and integrative health practices.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships.

Objective 5: Disseminate Objective Evidence-based Information on Complementary and Integrative Health Interventions

• Disseminate evidence-based information on complementary and integrative health approaches.
• Develop methods and approaches to enhance public understanding of basic scientific concepts and biomedical research.

Top Scientific Priorities

• Nonpharmacologic Management of Pain
• Neurobiological Effects and Mechanisms
• Innovative Approaches for Establishing Biological Signatures of Natural Products
• Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
• Clinical Trials Utilizing Innovative Study Designs To Assess Complementary Health Approaches and Their Integration Into Health Care
• Communications Strategies and Tools To Enhance Scientific Literacy and Understanding of Clinical Research