CDC Fiscal Year 2017 Report on CDC-Hosted Scientific Meeting Spending

In compliance with the 21^st Century Cures Act this report includes all CDC-hosted scientific meetings held in FY 2017 where the expenses associated with the scientific meeting exceeded $30,000. The descriptions include:

• The date of the scientific meeting
• The location of the scientific meeting
• A brief explanation of how the scientific meeting advanced the mission of the agency
• A description of exceptional circumstances for scientific meeting where expenses exceeded $150,000
• The total scientific meeting expenses incurred by the agency for the scientific meeting and
• The total number of individuals whose travel expenses or other scientific meeting expenses were paid by the agency

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services

66th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference

Dates: April 23-28, 2017

Venue, City, State, or Country: AmericasMart, Atlanta, GA

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: The primary mission for the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS) is to provide scientific service, expertise, skills, and tools in support of CDC’s national efforts to promote health, prevent disease, injury and disability, and prepare for emerging health threats. CSELS’s Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development (DSEPD) has a strategic priority to prepare the public health workforce for 21st century public health challenges. DSEPD’s Epidemiology Work Force Branch (EWB) is responsible for implementing a major part of that strategic goal by annually training a class of about eighty Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers who will provide service to CDC and state and local health agencies as part of their two-year training program. The EIS officer training program consists of a number of Core Activities of Learning (CALS) that officers must complete in the course of their two years so that they may successfully graduate from the program. The EIS Conference is a public forum for current officers to give a scientific presentation, increase their knowledge of recent investigations, and increase their skills in determining appropriateness of epidemiologic methods. The meeting also provides opportunities for scientific exchange regarding the most current epidemiologic topics and highlights epidemiologic activities at CDC.

Description of Exceptional Circumstances: This meeting is conducted annually as the apex for CDC’s EIS program. The EIS program readies a cadre of epidemiologists to provide scientific service to support CDC’s national effort to promote health, prevent disease, injury and disability; and prepare for emerging health threats. The EIS program and this meeting ensure the steady flow of trained professionals into the public health workforce supporting CDC’s overall mission. The EIS program is the only of its kind in the nation, and it is crucial for the development of epidemiologists and the overall public health mission.

This conference brought first and second year Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers the opportunity to present epidemiological findings to a national audience as part of their professional development and fellowship requirement. Additionally, it presented the opportunity for scientific exchange regarding current epidemiological topics, highlighted the breadth of epidemiological activities at CDC, strengthened the EIS professional network, and provided a forum for CDC programs to recruit new EIS officers. The conference is one of the most recognized CDC fellowship conferences, with a long-standing history of national and international public health interest. This event also served the broader public health scientific community by highlighting research conducted by CDC while providing a forum for communication and collaboration.

Total Estimated Cost: $1,039,851

Total Attendees: 2,309

Total Feds on Travel: 1,586

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 91

National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

2017 Annual Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Surveillance Meeting

Dates: August 1-2, 2017

Venue, City, State, or Country: Westin Buckhead Atlanta, Atlanta, GA

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable fatal disease with limited data concerning the prevalence, incidence and causes of ALS in the United States. Congress enacted the ALS Registry Act (S.1382) in 2008 and directed CDC to establish and administer the National ALS Registry. The ALS Registry Act also directs CDC to establish a committee to review information and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning the development and maintenance of the National ALS Registry; the type of information to be collected and stored in the Registry; the manner in which such data is to be collected and stored in the Registry; the use and availability of such data including guidelines for such use; and the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. The purpose of the conference was to update the ALS stakeholders on the progress of the National ALS Registry, to provide a forum to discuss challenges faced by the Registry, to receive expert advice and to discuss strategies to further enhance the Registry. The meeting is scheduled annually to ensure the Registry is progressing as planned and to address challenges, and functions like an advisory committee to the Registry, as required by the congressionally mandated ALS Registry Act.

Total Estimated Cost: $47,453

Total Attendees: 53

Total Feds on Travel: 9

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 14

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

Vaccine Safety Datalink Annual Meeting

Dates: May 2-3, 2017

Venue, City, State, or Country: Group Health Cooperation Offices, Seattle, WA

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: The Immunization Safety Office (ISO) of CDC/ATSDR provides leadership and expertise in immunization safety research and surveillance to help ensure safety of vaccines that play a key role in improving the public’s health. This Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) meeting is a key meeting that occurs annually among the VSD project investigators and has been taking place for over 20 years. The VSD meeting produces many important decisions and critical guidance as well as direction to current and future studies which address/respond to vaccine safety concerns raised by policy makers and the public. Many of these discussions do not occur as easily without this type of in person interaction and dialogue. We attribute many of the successes of VSD to the annual meeting where important novel ideas have been developed by this expert group. Not having an annual meeting would be jeopardizing the CDC’s VSD project’s critical role as the cornerstone of our nation’s vaccine safety system.

Description of Exceptional Circumstances: This VSD conference is a key gathering that occurs annually among the VSD project investigators and has been taking place for over 20 years. The VSD conference produces many important decisions and critical guidance, as well as direction to current and future studies which address/respond to vaccine safety concerns raised by policy makers and the public. Many of these discussions do not occur without this type of in-person interaction and dialogue. We attribute many of the successes of the VSD to the annual conference, where important, novel ideas have been advanced by this expert group. Not having an annual conference would jeopardize the CDC/VSD’s critical role as the cornerstone of our nation’s vaccine safety system.

Total Estimated Cost: $170,521

Total Attendees: 66

Total Feds on Travel: 13

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 53

Vector Control Strategies for Aedes Aegypti-Transmitted Diseases—Charting the Way Forward

Dates: February 27-28, 2017

Venue, City, State, or Country: CDC Global Communications Center, Atlanta, GA

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: The purpose of the conference was to exchange facts and information about options and methods for monitoring and controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and to reduce illness in people from Zika and other diseases transmitted by this mosquito. More than 150 expert scientists from around the world were invited to report on the state of the science, successes and challenges of existing mosquito control tools, innovative methods to control mosquitoes, and to give input on the design of large, well-controlled epidemiologic studies to evaluate these tools. It defined the state of the science in current and prospective vector-targeted interventions and their capacity to prevent human illness associated with Aedes aegypti and to develop a strategy for evidence-based implementation. It supported CDC’s public health mission by strategizing implementation of vector-targeted interventions, to ensure health and safety by preventing human illness associated with Aedes aegypti and by collaborating and developing professional relationships with experts in the field of vector control. At the summit, experts presented on current vector control interventions, such as reducing sources for mosquitoes and treating areas with larvicide and adulticide. In addition, experts discussed how these interventions may be better utilized and how to measure their impact on the spread of diseases to people. Attendees shared their experiences, research and practical perspectives and represent a variety of organizations and sectors, including government, research institutions, practitioners and industry.

Total Estimated Cost: $39,061

Total Attendees: 150

Total Feds on Travel: 11

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 16

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Expanding Research Partnerships: State of the Science

Dates: June 21-23, 2017

Venue, City, State, or Country: University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, CO

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: This meeting is directly related to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) mission to develop new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH) and to transfer that knowledge into practice. The purpose of this meeting was to enhance and expand intramural and extramural research partnerships and to establish the state of the science in OSH for the 3rd decade of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). This meeting provided opportunities for NIOSH’s partners to present their research in the OSH field and stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices.

Description of Exceptional Circumstances: This conference brought together both the NIOSH intramural and extramural research communities to discuss the state of science in occupational safety and health. The conference addressed the integration of intramural and extramural research and discussed the implementation of the NORA 3 research agenda and strategic plan. The conference has proven beneficial to both communities and has led to increased partnership among the many researchers.

Total Estimated Cost: $150,187

Total Attendees: 76

Total Feds on Travel: 76

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 0

Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response

Career Epidemiology Field Officers and Temporary Epidemiology Field Assignees Scientific Meeting

Dates: November 14-18, 2016

Venue, City, State, or Country: CDC Global Communications Center, Atlanta, GA

How the Meeting Advanced the Mission of the Agency: Career Epidemiology Field Officers (CEFOs) and Temporary Epidemiology Field Assignees (TEFAs) serve as a critical resource for state and local public health departments to build and strengthen their ability to respond more effectively to public health threats. The CEFOs and TEFAs directly provide technical and scientific expertise to aid in ensuring that state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments achieve all-hazards preparedness. This event directly supports the Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR) mission and CDC’s priorities to support national preparedness activities. The purpose of the five day Career Epidemiology Field Officers (CEFOs) and Temporary Epidemiology Field Assignees (TEFAs) Scientific Meeting is to focus on lessons learned and share guidance with Division of State and Local Readiness (DSLR) leadership and their peers based on frontline experiences which will strengthen surveillance and epidemiology in support of public health emergency capacity in state and local health departments. During this meeting, CEFOs and TEFAs presented ground-truth scientific data about how DLSR programs are implemented within jurisdictions to their peers, to leadership, staff in the Field Services Branch, and to leadership within OPHPR’s DSLR. They also presented to other leadership within CDC. Participants attended advanced training sessions in leadership, surveillance, and epidemiological tools such as Epi Info. Additionally, this event allowed DSLR to provide advanced training for field staff to improve their public health emergency preparedness and response leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Total Estimated Cost: $51,892

Total Attendees: 59

Total Feds on Travel: 36

Total Non-Feds on Travel: 1