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MemoMemorandumObama · D

Presidential Memorandum

White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force

This memorandum establishes the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force, chaired by the Vice President, to coordinate federal efforts to accelerate cancer research, treatment, and prevention. The Task Force includes heads of 14 executive departments and agencies and is directed to produce findings and recommendations on accelerating research, improving patient care, reducing regulatory barriers, and developing public-private partnerships, with a report due to the President by December 31, 2016.

Federal Register Open PDF 81 FR 5361

Impact dates

  1. Task Force report to President on findings and recommendations

Key directives

  • Establish White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force within Office of the Vice President
  • Vice President to serve as Chair
  • NIH to provide funding and administrative support
  • Vice President to designate Executive Director
  • Task Force to produce findings and recommendations on accelerating cancer research, improving patient access, supporting data/computational capabilities, encouraging treatment development, addressing regulatory barriers, optimizing federal investment, and developing public-private partnerships
  • NCAB strongly encouraged to establish Blue Ribbon Panel working group
  • Task Force to conduct outreach with patient community, academia, business, nonprofits, state/local government, research community
  • Task Force to post reports online and engage in public dialogue
  • Task Force to present report to President before December 31, 2016
  • Executive department and agency heads to assist and provide information to Task Force
  • Secretary of HHS to publish memorandum in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Task Force established within Office of the Vice President
  • Vice President designated as Chair
  • NIH to provide funding and administrative support
  • Vice President to designate Executive Director

Near term (90d)

  • Task Force to begin regular meetings and outreach to stakeholders
  • NCAB encouraged to establish Blue Ribbon Panel working group

Long term

  • Report to President due December 31, 2016
  • Goal to achieve in 5 years research gains that might otherwise take a decade

Risks & tensions

  • Advisory-only functions limit direct implementation authority; recommendations require separate agency or congressional action
  • Dependent on existing appropriations and 'availability of appropriations' creates funding uncertainty
  • Coordination across 14+ agencies with competing priorities and budgets may create bureaucratic friction
  • Goal to 'double the rate of progress' is ambitious but metrically vague
  • Regulatory barrier reduction (Sec. 2(e)) could tension with FDA safety mandates if interpreted broadly
Presidential Memorandum: White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force · Executive Orders