I am pleased to announce that we are currently inviting feedback on the draft ODS Strategic Plan for 2025–2029. This is a special opportunity for anyone interested in ODS, the premier federal organization, authority, and convening body for advancing the study of dietary supplements. This plan is a blueprint for how we intend to coordinate dietary supplement research at NIH. It also demonstrates the many ways in which ODS remains committed to the American public as the honest broker for advancing dietary supplement science and fostering public health knowledge.

If you are already familiar with ODS, you will notice that this draft Strategic Plan describes a complete reimagining of the office. It introduces a new organizational structure that emphasizes our competencies as an extramural coordinating office, as well as our subject matter expertise in Biological Sciences, Population Sciences, and Analytical Sciences. Under this plan, ODS will address the most pressing scientific and public health needs related to dietary supplements—their use, integrity, and safety, and their effects on health and resilience in diverse populations across the lifespan.   

Ultimately, the 2025–2029 ODS Strategic Plan will bolster our efficiency, accountability, and productivity. It is a bold vision built upon the expertise of ODS staff, their passion, and dedication over the last several decades, and will ensure the American public has the information they need to make informed decisions about the safe use of dietary supplements.

This plan reflects the collaborative work of the ODS staff and includes input from our partners across NIH and other federal agencies. It has been informed by public feedback provided in 2021 during the development of an earlier draft and the invaluable input we received during that endeavor.

In asking for public comments on the Strategic Plan, we pose these questions to guide your input:

• Are there additional emerging public health issues that ODS can help address?
• Are there partnerships ODS should pursue, both inside and outside of government, to advance research on dietary supplements?