Key Dates

Related Announcements

None

Issued by

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Purpose

This Notice is a Request for Information (RFI) inviting feedback on the 2022-2026 strategic plan of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD).

NOTE: It is important to read this entire RFI notice to ensure an adequate response is prepared and to have a full understanding of how your response will be utilized.

Background

The Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD) fosters improved communication, cooperation, and collaboration among disciplines and federal agencies that address health, education, developmental disabilities, alcohol research, and social services and justice issues related to prenatal alcohol exposure.

The ICCFASD was established in 1996 in response to a report by an expert committee of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine). The report called for a coordinated federal effort to address fetal alcohol spectrum disorders because the responsibility transcends the mission and resources of any single federal agency or program. The ICCFASD envisions that collaborative partnerships, using the resources of the federal government in partnership with other organizations, will lead to improved prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure, earlier identification and improved surveillance of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and more effective interventions and services for individuals living with FASD as well as their families.

Current ICCFASD membership comprises:

• Administration for Children and Families
• Administration for Community Living
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
• Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• Indian Health Service
• National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and National Institute of Mental Health)
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

ICCFASD is sponsored and chaired by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

ICCFASD is developing a new strategic plan to guide its efforts over the next 5 years. The outline below represents the proposed strategic plan organization and framework.

Information Requested

As sponsor and chair of ICCFASD, NIAAA invites input on the draft outline of the 2022-2026 ICCFASD strategic plan from diverse stakeholders, including scientific experts, health care providers, patients and family members, advocacy groups, other federal agencies, and non-governmental scientific, professional, and healthcare organizations. We encourage organizations to submit a single response reflecting input from their organization as a whole.

All respondents are encouraged to preview the online response form to help organize their comments.

ICCFASD 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Outline

Overview:

• The importance of a coordinated national, multi-disciplinary approach to address FASD that leverages the mission and strengths of ICCFASD member agencies
• A coordinated approach involving research, services/implementation, dissemination, education, and training is needed to address issues related to prenatal alcohol exposure
• ICCFASD’s role in bridging communication between the member federal agencies and researchers, educators, service providers, and the general public, including individuals with FASD, their families, and advocacy communities

Goal 1: Prevent and reduce prenatal alcohol exposure

• Objective 1: Track the prevalence and patterns in alcohol use, misuse, and alcohol use disorder among pregnant women and women of reproductive age
• Objective 2: Improve evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure

Goal 2: Improve identification and surveillance of FASD

• Objective 1: Develop, validate, and promote improved tools and surveillance strategies for documenting the prevalence of FASD at the population-level and in specific settings
• Objective 2: Develop, validate, and implement more effective tools and strategies to enable early identification of FASD

Goal 3: Mitigate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure across the lifespan

• Objective 1: Understand how prenatal alcohol exposure impacts health outcomes of individuals with FASD across the lifespan
• Objective 2: Improve treatment and services for individuals with FASD and their families

Cross-cutting themes that will be highlighted in each strategic plan goal:

• Addressing disparities that may impact health, access to care, risk, and outcomes associated with prenatal alcohol exposure
• Improving access to services and implementation of evidence-based interventions
• Advancing basic, translational, and clinical research on FASD
• Increasing information dissemination, education, and training to raise awareness about FASD

How to Submit a Response

Responses to this RFI must be submitted through this online form.

To ensure full consideration, responses must be received by August 31, 2021.

Responses to this RFI are voluntary. Do not include any proprietary, classified, confidential, trade secret, or sensitive information in your response. The responses will be reviewed by NIAAA staff, and individual feedback will not be provided to any responder. The U.S. Government will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion.

This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, grant, or cooperative agreement, or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the NIH, or NIAAA to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. The Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for the U.S. Government’s use of such information. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the Government’s use of such information. The provided information will be analyzed and may appear, in summary form, removing personally identifying or sensitive information, in reports or other publicly accessible resources.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Tatiana Balachova ICCFASD Executive Secretary
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Email: NIAAA-ICCFASD@mail.nih.gov