NIH Director Speaks to NCRR
Advisory Council
January 31, 2003 - The advisory council to the NIH's
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) convened Jan.
23 on the NIH campus. The meeting included a presentation
by and lengthy discussion with NIH Director Elias Zerhouni,
MD, who has made efforts to meet with each institute council
during his first year in the position. While budgetary matters,
homeland security, and other issues loom large over the center's
deliberations, council members focused their questions, and
their chief concerns, on long-range prospects for biomedical
research. Their concerns included the career development of
the "next generation" of biomedical researcher and
the environment for health care delivery in which research
is conducted. Dr. Zerhouni expressed strong concern for the
increased length of time before new scientists can begin careers
as NIH-funded investigators. While a surprisingly high proportion
- nearly 30 percent - of the current year's applicant pool
are applying as "first time" investigators, the
average age of these applicants is just under 40 years old.
Dr. Zerhouni, reflecting on a recent conversation with pioneering
biochemist Marshall Nirenberg, noted that under today's system,
"Nirenberg would have received his Nobel prize [at age
35] before his first NIH grant."
Council member Ken Berns, M.D., Ph.D., raised concerns about
the future of clinical research given continuing financial
strain on the American health care system. Dr. Zerhouni agreed,
setting the problem in the context of a major public health
crisis: obesity-related diabetes. He noted that endocrinologists
and other physician researchers are needed to help address
this crisis, but the current system may be driving many of
these individuals out of their practices.
Information:
Stephen Heinig, Senior Research Fellow
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
sheinig@aamc.org
(202) 828-0488
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