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The Office of Scientific Coordination, Planning and Evaluation (SCOPE), in the NIEHS Office of the Director, provides scientific and executive leadership, direction, and assistance to expansive programs that contribute to meeting the NIEHS mission and  Strategic Plan. SCOPE facilitates partnerships and collaborations across multiple disciplines within and across NIEHS, NIH, other federal agencies, and with other domestic and international partners. SCOPE oversees environmental health science policy across NIEHS.

SCOPE Mission

SCOPE provides executive leadership and scientific coordination, strategic planning, and communication to implement, evaluate, and promote NIEHS’s mission, vision, programs, and priorities.  

SCOPE Vision

SCOPE strives to elevate institute priorities, and foster partnerships and collaborations across disciplines to inspire innovative and interdisciplinary research, policies, and communication to help NIEHS advance the field of environmental health sciences. 

Gwen W. Collman, Ph.D.
Gwen W. Collman, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Scientific Coordination, Planning and Evaluation (SCOPE)
Tel 984-287-3249
[email protected]
P.O. Box 12233
Mail Drop B2-09
Durham, NC 27709

The Director of SCOPE is assisted by two Deputy Directors:

Aubrey K. Miller, M.D., M.P.H.
Aubrey K. Miller, M.D., M.P.H.
Deputy Director, Scientific Coordination
Tel 301-496-3511
[email protected]
31 Center Dr
NIHBC 31 - CLAUDE D PEPPER BUILDING
Bethesda, MD 20892-2256
Nicole J. Garbarini, Ph.D.
Nicole J. Garbarini, Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Scientific Policy, Planning, and Evaluation
Tel 301-435-4642
[email protected]
31 Center Dr
NIHBC 31 - CLAUDE D PEPPER BUILDING
Bethesda, MD 20892

SCOPE Office Organization and Staff

SCOPE oversees and coordinates the following functions:

Major Program Oversight and Leadership

Scientific Coordination for Cross-divisional Programs & Activities

  • Coordinates high-priority complex initiatives across NIH and with other partners and activities such as budgetary, implementation, tracking, and monitoring of programmatic impacts.
  • Maintains relationships across NIH Institutes and Centers, other federal agencies, and with international partners and supports collaborative NIEHS-wide projects.
  • Leads the development, implementation, and coordination of the NIH Disaster Response Research (DR2) program.
  • Provides leadership and representation on national committees including the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), and the US Global Climate Change Research Program (USGCRP)
  • Coordinates NIH efforts to link health, environmental, and exposure data to build and strengthen the data infrastructure for patient-centered outcomes research on climate change and health

International Activities

  • Monitors NIEHS international activities and serves as liaison to NIH’s Fogarty International Center.
  • Leads WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health Sciences activities.
  • Provides leadership and representation on engagements with international funders on environmental health sciences research.

Science Policy Activities

  • Provides leadership, representation, and coordination on White House Office of Science and Technology Policy activities.
  • Reviews and provides an assessment of proposed regulations and regulatory documents.
  • Monitors and advises on science policy issues across the institute, and emerging issues of potential interest and impact to NIEHS.

Legislative Activities

  • Leads, reviews, and advises on legislative activities across NIEHS.
  • Coordinates and advises on legislative activities related to appropriations, authorizing legislation, and Congressional requests, in liaison with NIH’s Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis and other NIH institutes, centers, and offices.
  • Prepares annual congressional justification narratives to communicate NIEHS activities for the president’s budget requests.
  • Engages external audiences in support of the NIEHS mission, including liaison activities with the Friends of NIEHS.

Planning, Evaluation, and Reporting

  • Develops the institute’s 5-year strategic plan by engaging senior leaders and staff across the institute, and organizations and interested parties external to NIEHS and NIH.
  • Supports scientific planning, reporting and program evaluation to achieve objectives of NIEHS and NIH.
  • Coordinates NIEHS-wide reporting requirements for planning and evaluation.
  • Enhances collaboration and resource sharing across the scientific, planning, policy, and evaluation functions of the institute in support of the NIEHS mission.