Overview
Title
National Institute on Drug Abuse; Notice of Closed Meeting
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is having a secret meeting to talk about who will get grants and check how well researchers are doing. They won't let anyone else join because they need to keep some things private.
Summary AI
The National Institute on Drug Abuse announced a closed meeting of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. The meeting is scheduled for May 13, 2025, and will include sessions from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. and from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., conducted virtually. The agenda includes reviewing grant applications and evaluating the qualifications and performance of investigators. The discussions will be closed to the public to protect confidential information and personal privacy.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document provides a notice from the National Institute on Drug Abuse regarding a closed meeting of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. Scheduled for May 13, 2025, the meeting will be held virtually and will consist of sessions designated from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The first session will focus on reviewing grant applications while the second session is dedicated to assessing the qualifications and performance of individual investigators. The meeting is closed to the public to protect confidential information and ensure personal privacy is maintained.
General Summary
This notice informs the public about an upcoming closed meeting that is part of the routine operations of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. This council is responsible for evaluating and advising on matters specific to drug abuse research funded by the National Institutes of Health. Meeting sessions will discuss sensitive topics, including research grants and personnel evaluations, which are protected from public exposure to prevent the release of confidential information.
Significant Issues and Concerns
Several concerns arise from the way this notice is presented:
Lack of Detail on Specific Projects: The notice does not specify the specific intramural programs or projects under discussion, leading to ambiguity regarding the meeting content.
Privacy Concerns: The inclusion of personal contact information such as email addresses and phone numbers of Dr. Susan R.B. Weiss and Dr. Gillian Acca might present privacy issues or potential misuse.
Justification for Closure: The document cites legal provisions for closing the meeting but fails to provide detailed reasoning for why each session necessitates privacy.
Technical Language: The use of formal and technical language, including legal codes, may make the text less accessible to a general audience without prior government or legal knowledge.
Federal Domestic Assistance Program Codes: The mention of these codes is unexplained, leaving readers uncertain of their relevance to the meeting’s agenda.
Public and Stakeholder Impacts
Public Impact: For the general public, the main impact of this notice is informational. It informs citizens of the ongoing efforts in drug abuse research, albeit with limited transparency due to the closed nature of the meeting. This might frustrate individuals seeking more insights into governmental operations concerning drug policies and research.
Stakeholder Impact: Specific stakeholders, such as researchers or grant applicants, may experience uncertainty due to the lack of detailed information about individual agenda items. Conversely, the closed meeting structure benefits those involved by ensuring personal and proprietary information is safeguarded, thus protecting intellectual property and personal integrity.
In conclusion, while the notice effectively communicates the meeting schedule and agenda, it highlights areas for improvement in transparency and communication clarity to better serve and inform both the public and those directly involved in the proceedings.
Issues
• The document does not specify the specific intramural programs or projects being discussed, which may leave room for ambiguity regarding its content.
• Contact information such as email addresses and phone numbers included for Susan R.B. Weiss, Ph.D., and Gillian Acca, Ph.D., may raise privacy concerns or lead to misuse.
• There is no detailed justification or explanation on why each of the sessions must be closed to the public, only citing general provisions.
• The language regarding the meeting agenda and purpose is clear but quite formal and may not be easily understood by a general audience without prior context regarding Federal Advisory Committee operations.
• The notice includes technical references to codes and classifications (e.g., sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.) without a layperson's explanation, which could hinder understanding by non-expert readers.
• The inclusion of the Federal Domestic Assistance Program numbers without explanation or context about their relevance to the meeting or its proceedings may cause confusion.