Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
Dr. Fauci opened the Thursday, January 17th, session of Council by welcoming visitors to the 140th meeting. He announced the appointment of five new Council members: Dr. Luis Diaz; Dr. Brooks Jackson, Dr. Dorothy Lewis, Dr. Richard Locksley; and, Dr. Margaret Liu.
Dr. Fauci welcomed the ad hoc Council members: Dr. William Busse, Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin; Dr. Gerald Gleich, Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Utah; and, Dr. Martin Rosenberg, Vice President, Research and Development, Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin.
Consideration of Minutes of Previous Meeting:
The minutes of the September 24, 2001 meeting were considered and approved as written.
Staff and Organizational Changes
Dr. Fauci announced the appointment of Dr. Michael Mowatt as Director, Office of Technology Development.
Review of Operating Procedures for FY 2002
Operating procedures had been sent to Council members for review. No modifications were suggested and they were approved.
Budget Update
NIH received a favorable increase of almost $3 billion over the FY 2001 budget, a 14.6 percent increase. NIAID received $2,372,278,000, a 16.1 percent increase over FY 2001. The NIAID contract budget is somewhat "stacked" since it contains $42 million for smallpox and anthrax support in addition to an increase in an assessment by the Department that provides support for other DHHS agencies, namely the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The result is a falsely skewed increase in the proportion that goes to contracts and a falsely skewed decrease in the proportion that goes to RPGs.
NIAID has set its FY 2002 Financial Management Plan based on the budget allocation. It is the same as the FY 2001 plan with the exception of a 10 percent increase in stipends for NRSA recipients, which is being implemented NIH-wide in response to a National Academy of Sciences recommendation contained in its report: Addressing the Nation's Changing Needs for Biomedical and Behavioral Scientists released in 2000.
Other
NIH Loan Repayment Program
NIAID is participating in two new loan repayment programs (LRPs): (1) the Clinical Research LRP, and (2) the Pediatric Research LRP. The purpose of these programs is to encourage new clinical scientists and pediatricians to pursue careers in clinical research. NIAID's budget for FY 2002 includes funds to support these two programs. The Institute will provide updates on the status and success of this program.
Council Materials:
Copies of the Legislative Update, which describes hearings, and bills of interest to the Institute, were distributed. The NIAID Office of Communications provided Council members with several publications and press releases. back to top |