Request for Information (RFI): What Role Might the NIH (Neuroscience Blueprint) Play in Developing Neuroscience-Related Educational Materials for the K-12 Community?

Notice Number: NOT-MH-08-012

Key Dates
Release Date:  June 18, 2008
Responses Due: July 30, 2008

Issued by
NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research (http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov)
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (http://www.nccam.nih.gov/)
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/)
National Eye Institute (NEI) (http://www.nei.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Aging (NIA) (http://www.nia.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) (http://www.nibib.nih.gov/)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://www.nida.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) (http://www.nigms.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) (http://ninr.nih.gov/ninr/)
Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/)

Neuroscience research is a unifying theme across many NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research was launched in 2004 and now includes 15 Institutes and Centers as well as the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research. The Blueprint provides a framework for prospectively coordinating research of common interest, including the development of tools and resources which are broadly useful for advancing neuroscience research (http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/).

This is a time-sensitive RFI regarding neuroscience-related educational efforts for K-12 students.

Information Requested

Biomedical science offers exciting opportunities and challenges to students. Discussions of the brain and nervous system can span many different courses, levels, and settings. The NIH Blueprint is interested in knowing what topics and curricula might be useful at the high-school level. As part of this exploratory process, the NIH Blueprint requests responses to the questions below regarding the need for neuroscience materials that would augment existing health or science courses. Insight regarding the best methods to implement these efforts is also sought.

  1. How frequently are topics related to neuroscience taught?
  2. What curricula in neuroscience topics would be most useful to teachers?
  3. Please rate separately the usefulness of developing: a) strategies that would increase teacher content knowledge of neuroscience topics; b) materials that discuss the latest research on how students learn; and c) materials that describe the development of the adolescent brain.
  4. What teaching materials, other than textbooks, would be the most useful?
  5. What are the major barriers to using new materials in the classroom?
  6. What is your primary role in the educational system (teacher, administrator, parent, etc…)?

Responses

We welcome any additional insight you might have that could contribute to the success of this initiative. Please send comments and/or responses to nihblueprintk12@mail.nih.gov no later than July 30, 2008.

Inquiries

Specific questions about this Notice may be directed to:

James D. Churchill, Ph.D.
Division of Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, MSC 9645
Bethesda, MD 20892-9645
Telephone:  (301) 443-3107
churchillj@mail.nih.gov