The Director of the Institute, with the advice of the Institute’s advisory council, shall prepare and transmit to the Director of NIH a plan for a national arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases program to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute respecting arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases. The plan shall include such comments and recommendations as the Director of the Institute determines appropriate. The plan shall place particular emphasis upon expanding research into better understanding the causes and the development of effective treatments for arthritis affecting children. The Director of the Institute shall periodically review and revise such plan and shall transmit any revisions of such plan to the Director of NIH.

Activities under the national arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases program shall be coordinated with the other national research institutes to the extent that such institutes have responsibilities respecting arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, and shall, at least, provide for—

(1) investigation into the epidemiology, etiology, and prevention of all forms of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, including sports-related disorders, primarily through the support of basic research in such areas as immunology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, bioengineering, and any other scientific discipline which can contribute important knowledge to the treatment and understanding of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases;

(2) research into the development, trial, and evaluation of techniques, drugs, and devices used in the diagnosis, treatment, including medical rehabilitation, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases;

(3) research on the refinement, development, and evaluation of technological devices that will replace or be a substitute for damaged bone, muscle, and joints and other supporting structures;

(4) the establishment of mechanisms to monitor the causes of athletic injuries and identify ways of preventing such injuries on scholastic athletic fields; and

(5) research into the causes of arthritis affecting children and the development, trial, and evaluation of techniques, drugs and devices used in the diagnosis, treatment (including medical rehabilitation), and prevention of arthritis in children.

The Director of the Institute shall carry out the national arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases program in accordance with the plan prepared under subsection (a) and any revisions of such plan made under such subsection.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 436, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 848; amended Pub. L. 100–607, title I, § 136, Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3056; Pub. L. 103–43, title VII, § 701(b), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 162.)