51 U.S.C. § 40501: Biomedical research joint working group

The Administrator and the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall jointly establish a working group to coordinate biomedical research activities in areas where a microgravity environment may contribute to significant progress in the understanding and treatment of diseases and other medical conditions. The joint working group shall formulate joint and complementary programs in such areas of research. The joint working group shall include equal representation from the Administration and the National Institutes of Health, and shall include representation from National Institutes of Health councils, as selected by the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advisory Council. The joint working group shall organize annual symposia on biomedical research described in subsection (a) under the joint sponsorship of the Administration and the National Institutes of Health. The joint working group shall report annually to Congress on its progress in carrying out this section. the space program can make significant contributions to selected areas of health-related research and should be an integral part of the Nation’s health research and development program; the continuing development of trained scientists and engineers is essential to carrying out an effective and sustained program of biomedical research in space and on the ground; the establishment and maintenance of an electronically accessible archive of data on space-related biomedical research is essential to advancement of the field; cooperation with the republics of the former Soviet Union, including use of former Soviet orbital facilities, offers the potential for greatly enhanced biomedical research activities and progress; and the establishment and maintenance of an international telemedicine consultation satellite capability to support emergency medical service provision can provide an important aid to disaster relief efforts.”