Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
Dr. Fauci opened the Monday afternoon, May 20, session of Council by welcoming visitors and the following ad hoc members to the 123rd meeting: Dr. Carole Long, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dr. Robert Schwartz, Deputy Editor, The New England Journal of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; and, Dr. Dyann Wirth, Professor, Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Consideration of Minutes of Previous Meeting:
The minutes of the January 29-30, 1996 meeting were considered and approved as written.
Dates of Future Council Meetings:
September 26-27, 1996; and for 1997, January 23-24, May 19-21 and September 8-10.
Staff and Organizational Changes:
A number of changes have occurred within the NIAID Division of Intramural Research (DIR). The Rocky Mountain Laboratory Business Management Section has been restructured. This office is now known as the Rocky Mountain Laboratory Administrative and Facilities Management Section. In addition, the Rocky Mountain Operations Branch and its Maintenance Section has been abolished. The Viral Pathogensis Section, Laboratory of Immunology, DIR located at the Bethesda campus has been abolished; and the Animal Care Section has been reorganized and transferred to the Office of the Director, DIR.
Dr. Carole Heilman has been appointed as the new Associate Director for Scientific Program Development, Division of AIDS (DAIDS). In this capacity, she will also serve as Deputy Director of the Division. Dr. Nava Saver has been appointed Chief, Targeted Interventions Branch, Basic Sciences Program within the DAIDS.
Dr. Dennis Dixon has been appointed Chief of the Bacteriology and Mycology Branch within the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID).
Budget Update:
Dr. Fauci announced that NIAID raised the FY 1996 payline to the 22 percentile for AIDS grants and to the 18 percentile for non-AIDS.
The House Appropriations Committee's budget mark increases the NIH FY 1997 budget by 6.9 percent to $12.7 billion and the NIAID budget 7.5 percent to $1.26 billion - good news for the research community. This level is $341 million more than the President's budget request and includes $90 million for a new NIH Clinical Center. The President requested a 3.3 percent budget increase for NIAID, and 3.9 percent for NIH.
Legislative Update:
Dr. Fauci appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee in April. In March, the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee conducted a two-day hearing for reauthorization of the NIH that showcased NIH.
The Institute directors testified in panels grouped by broad research interest. Dr. Fauci appeared along with Dr. Duane Alexander, the Director of Child Health and Human Development, and Dr. William Paul, Director of the Office of AIDS Research, to testify on the topic of infectious diseases. Both days of the hearings were well attended by Committee members who echoed Senator Nancy Kassebaum's opening sentiment that the reauthorization of the NIH is a very high priority.
Dr. Fauci talked about emerging microbes and the role of the Institute in the basic and clinical science approach to emerging microbes which was rather well received by everyone, including Senators Nancy Kassebaum and Ted Kennedy.
Since the last Council meeting NIAID staff have had a considerable number of favorable interactions with members of the Administration and Congress.
On February the 20th Dr. Fauci met with Vice President Gore along with several other people from the Administration, the government, the FDA, the CDC, the NIH and a group of CEOs from different companies to talk about how we can better work together.
On April 3rd, Senator Kennedy and his staff visited the NIH. During the visit NIAID staff had the opportunity to talk to him formally in a presentation about some of the activities of the Institute.
Representative Obey, who is the ranking minority member on the Appropriations Subcommittee, asked Dr. Harold Varmus, NIH Director to put together a small group of NIH people to visit Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Dr. Fauci and others went there to give half-hour presentations and answer questions.
On May 14th, Representative Porter, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee paid a visit to the NIH. He was accompanied by a group of members from the Appropriations Subcommittee and staffers of everyone on the Appropriations Subcommittee, in addition to Representatives Stokes and Miller. Dr. Fauci made a presentation to the group about what NIAID does in the areas of infectious diseases, AIDS, and emerging microbes. He commented that the presentation provided him with an opportunity to give the attendees a much clearer picture of: a) what staff within the Institute do; and, b) stress the importance of the support of the Appropriations Subcommittee for our endeavors.
NIAID has established a 6 to 9 million dollar bridge program to support investigators with applications beyond the Institute's payline.
The 40 to 45 awards anticipated will be paid in percentile order at the IRG-recommended level less the programmatic reduction. Funding new (type 1) and recompeting (type 2) grants, the one-year award can be extended to two years (with no additional funds provided).
The money will enable investigators to conduct research while they revise their R01, R29 (FIRST), and R03 (small grant) applications.
NIAID began the program following input from meetings between Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and focus groups (see the January Council newsletter article under Institute and Staff News). Bridge awards should help minimize disruptive funding gaps.
NIAID will be participating in an NIH program called Shannon awards, which focuses on new investigators. As part of this program, Dr. Varmus matches institute dollars with money from his discretionary fund.
Dr. Fauci indicated the Institute plans to spend $500,000 on 10 awards. Each grantee will receive $50,000 a year for two years.
At its January meeting, Council drafted two resolutions for NIH Director Dr. Harold Varmus: 1) communicating the benefits of NIH research; and 2) rising animal care costs.
Dr. Varmus endorsed the idea that members of NIH advisory councils should devote some of their time explaining the importance of biomedical research to groups in their local communities. He is exploring the issue further with the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD).
On the animal care issue, Dr. Varmus wrote to Council that he asked the director of NIH's National Center for Research Resources to present this issue to the ACD.
Because of NIAID's policy change to limit the size of training grants, the Institute saved $1.6 million this fiscal year. The Council-recommended shift enabled us to fund about 50 more National Research Service Award positions.
Council discussed whether NIAID should let grantees with a Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) award get a second MERIT when the first expires. These awards provide a small number of outstanding investigators with a five-year grant that may be followed by a three- to five-year extension. Council is also reviewing whether an appropriate proportion of Institute funds goes toward MERIT awards. back to top |