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The NIH Executive Secretariat (Exec Sec) is an organization within the Immediate Office of the Director that provides expert support to the NIH Director and Principal Deputy Director, ensuring timely, accurate, and fully integrated response and decision-making information. Exec Sec represents NIH’s perspective to HHS Operating and Staff Divisions and other government agencies, and serves as an honest broker in adjudicating differences in organizational perspectives across NIH. Exec Sec disseminates and integrates current information and uses best practices to support NIH leadership, maintaining integrity, accountability, confidentiality, transparency, and resiliency. This work is often accomplished in collaboration with a network of liaisons in NIH’s Institutes, Centers, and Offices.
Our mission is to advance the NIH Director and Principal Deputy Director’s strategic priorities through expert analysis and seamless coordination of critical information flow, communications, engagements, and records management. Exec Sec uses SAAVI, a web-based application, to manage official correspondence and clearance assignments throughout NIH, and to create official records.
About the Executive Secretariat
The NIH Executive Secretariat (Exec Sec) is an organization within the Immediate Office of the Director that provides expert support to the NIH Director and Principal Deputy Director, ensuring timely, accurate, and fully integrated response and decision-making information. Exec Sec represents NIH’s perspective to HHS Operating and Staff Divisions and other government agencies and serves as an honest broker in adjudicating differences in organizational perspectives across NIH.
Our mission is to advance the NIH Director and Principal Deputy Director’s strategic priorities through expert analysis and seamless coordination of critical information flow, communications, engagements, and records management. This work is often accomplished in collaboration with a network of liaisons in NIH’s Institutes, Centers, and Offices. Through this, we aim to fulfill our vision to support the NIH mission by setting the standard of excellence in information coordination through precise analysis, integration of innovative technology, and trusted collaboration across NIH and the wider community.
Leadership
Alissa Meister, Ph.D.
Alissa Meister is the Director of the NIH Office of the Executive Secretariat, which facilitates the integration of policy and scientific information in support of the NIH Director’s and Principal Deputy Director’s day-to-day work.
She previously served as a Senior Health Science Policy Analyst and Special Assistant to the Acting Deputy Director in the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP). In her role, she led strategic, high-impact scientific initiatives with broad implications across the biomedical research enterprise, including public engagement in clinical research, drug pricing, and partnerships. Alissa joined NIH as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2019, serving as a Health Specialist and Special Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director of the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). She completed a developmental rotation at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS), where she worked on several projects related to neuroethics.
Alissa graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from Dickinson College and earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine.
What We Do
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I invite the NIH Director to an event within NIH? To an event outside NIH?
You may direct invitations for the NIH Director to attend and participate in events to NIHDirectorInvitations@nih.gov. Additional information on preparing and sending invitations to the NIH Director is available here. - How do I find out about the various NIH clinical trials that are open for enrollment?
You may find this information at Clinical Trials.gov. - May I ask the NIH Director to endorse a book I’ve written?
Due to ethics constraints governing the actions of Executive Branch officials, the NIH Director is prohibited from endorsing books.
Contact the NIH Executive Secretariat
NIH Executive Secretariat
Mailing Address:
1 Center Drive MSC 0122
Bethesda, MD 20892-0122
Exec Sec offices are located in Building 1 on the B1 level in rooms 38, 42, 46, 55, and 56.
Phone: (301) 496-1461
Email: nihexecsec@nih.gov