Driving Innovation in Research Program Management: NIEHS Annual Meeting 2024

Written By Briannie Orellana

At the recent National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS) Annual Meeting Conference, I served as both a key organizer and lead presenter. This experience showcased my abilities in event planning, leadership, and effective communication of complex operational strategies in environmental health research and business administration.

Conference Planning Committee Role

  • Served on the planning committee for 4 months, collaborating with business administrators nationwide

  • Contributed to developing the conference agenda and selecting session topics

  • Played a crucial role in overall event coordination

  • Initiated the idea for the pilot project program presentation

  • Recruited two colleagues to share their expertise in the presentation

  • Created the presentation outline and led team meetings in preparation

Presentation Contributions

  • Lead Presenter: Orchestrated the group presentation on optimizing environmental health programs

  • Introduction: Presented the connection to NIEHS RFA, the purpose of pilot programs, and an overview of the session objectives

  • Monitoring and Closeout: Led the discussion on ongoing compliance, progress tracking, fiscal monitoring, and final reporting processes

Key Topics Covered

  • Lifecycle stages of research programs: Initiation, Execution, Monitoring, and Closeout

  • Best practices for ongoing budget tracking and financial oversight

  • Strategies for maintaining open communication with Principal Investigators (PIs)

  • Processes for final fiscal reconciliation and compliance reporting

  • Approaches to program evaluation and feedback collection

Positive Feedback

The presentation was well-received by the NIH and other attendees. Specific praise was given to the slides and diagrams, which were noted as particularly helpful. Several attendees expressed interest in implementing some of the presented strategies in their research centers.

Skills Highlighted

This experience highlighted my ability to lead both in event organization and in presenting complex information. The strategies and insights shared have the potential to significantly improve the operational efficiency of research programs across various institutions, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes for communities nationwide.

Briannie Orellana
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