(a) In general
There is established within the National Institutes of Health an office to be known as the Office of AIDS Research. The Office shall be headed by a director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary.
(b) Duties
(1) Interagency coordination of AIDS activities
With respect to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, the Director of the Office shall plan, coordinate, and evaluate research and other activities conducted or supported by the agencies of the National Institutes of Health. In carrying out the preceding sentence, the Director of the Office shall evaluate the AIDS activities of each of such agencies and shall provide for the periodic reevaluation of such activities.
(2) Consultations
The Director of the Office shall carry out this subpart (including developing and revising the plan required in section 300cc–40c of this title) in consultation with the heads of the agencies of the National Institutes of Health, with the advisory councils of the agencies, and with the advisory council established under section 300cc–40b of this title.
(3) Coordination
The Director of the Office shall act as the primary Federal official with responsibility for overseeing all AIDS research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health, and
(A) shall serve to represent the National Institutes of Health AIDS Research Program at all relevant Executive branch task forces and committees; and
(B) shall maintain communications with all relevant Public Health Service agencies and with various other departments of the Federal Government, to ensure the timely transmission of information concerning advances in AIDS research and the clinical treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and its related conditions, between these various agencies for dissemination to affected communities and health care providers.