Report to the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council

Director, NIEHS

February 19, 2009

Dr. Linda Birnbaum entered on duty as Director, National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, on January 18, 2009.

**[Director's Message]{.underline}**

It is my pleasure and privilege to address you on the occasion of my
initial meeting with the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences
Council. I am proud to be entrusted with the leadership of this great
institute, and I am hoping that with your help and with the efforts of
all of us -- our top notch scientists and staff, and our outstanding
extramural community -- we can move beyond the turbulence of the recent
past and advance our mission at a time in scientific history that has
never been more exciting and full of promise.

The challenges to the field of environmental health sciences in the
21^st^ century are enormous. As biological sciences generate a deeper
understanding of the working of organisms at the molecular and systems
levels, so opportunities open for us to advance our knowledge of the
effects of environmental exposures and to understand both the robust and
the subtle, complex ways in which exposures affect human health and
disease. Tackling scientific questions with this level of complexity
will require an ongoing evaluation of our ideas and approaches and an
emphasis on integration across disciplines: computational and molecular
to clinical and public health, and everything in between. We also have a
responsibility as an institute to empower efforts to translate our
discoveries into improvements in public health and clinical practice.

Over the coming months, I will be emphasizing "evolution, not
revolution", as I come up to speed regarding my knowledge of current
NIEHS programs, organization, and issues. I am eager to have the
Council's advice and input as we move forward. I view the Council as an
invaluable resource, with a wealth of knowledge both about the NIEHS and
about the state of environmental health sciences in general, and also as
an outside point of view with which to compare and check my own
impressions. I hope to be able to have an open, honest dialog with this
group, and will always welcome your opinions and insight.

I also want to extend my deep appreciation, for myself and on behalf of
the entire NIEHS community, to Drs. Sam Wilson and Bill Suk for their
leadership of NIEHS over the past seventeen months.

**[Recent Scientific Advances]{.underline}**

1.  Number range CHAPTERPope CA 3^rd^, Ezzati M, Dockery DW.
    Fine-particulate air pollution and life expectancy in the United
    States. N Engl J Med. 2009 Jan 22;360(4):376-86.
    [HTML](http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/4/376)
    [PDF](http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/360/4/376.pdf)

2.  Navas-Acien A, Silbergeld EK, Pastor-Barriuso R, Guallar E. Arsenic
    exposure and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in US adults. JAMA. 2008
    Aug 20;300(7):814-22.
    [HTML](http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/7/814)
    [PDF](http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/300/7/814.pdf)

3.  Stevens RC, Suzuki SM, Cole TB, Park SS, Richter RJ, Furlong CE.
    Engineered recombinant human paraoxonase 1 (rHuPON1) purified from
    *Escherichia coli* protects against organophosphate poisoning. Proc
    Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Sep 2;105(35):12780-4.
    [HTML](http://www.pnas.org/content/105/35/12780.full)
    [PDF](http://www.pnas.org/content/105/35/12780.full.pdf+html)

4.  Chuang KJ, Coull BA, Zanobetti A, Suh H, Schwartz J, Stone PH,
    Litonjua A, Speizer FE, Gold DR. Particulate air pollution as a risk
    factor for ST-segment depression in patients with coronary artery
    disease. Circulation. 2008 Sep 23;118(13):1314-20.
    [HTML](http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/118/13/1314)
    [PDF](http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/118/13/1314.pdf)

5.  Chou AP, Maidment N, Klintenberg R, Casida JE, Li S, Fitzmaurice AG,
    Fernagut PO, Mortazavi F, Chesselet MF, Bronstein JM. Ziram causes
    dopaminergic cell damage by inhibiting E1 ligase of the proteasome.
    J Biol Chem. 2008 Dec 12;283(50):34696-703.
    [HTML](http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/283/50/34696)
    [PDF](http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/283/50/34696.pdf)

6.  Straub AC, Clark KA, Ross MA, Chandra AG, Li S, Gao X, Pagano PJ,
    Stolz DB, Barchowsky A. Arsenic-stimulated liver sinusoidal
    capillarization in mice requires NADPH oxidase-generated superoxide.
    J Clin Invest. 2008 Dec;118(12):3980-9.
    [HTML](http://www.jci.org/articles/view/35092)
    [PDF](http://www.jci.org/articles/view/35092/pdf)

7.  Williams MA, Rangasamy T, Bauer SM, Killedar S, Karp M, Kensler TW,
    Yamamoto M, Breysse P, Biswal S, Georas SN. Disruption of the
    transcription factor Nrf2 promotes pro-oxidative dendritic cells
    that stimulate Th2-like immunoresponsiveness upon activation by
    ambient particulate matter. J Immunol. 2008 Oct 1;181(7):4545-59.
    [HTML](http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/full/181/7/4545)
    [PDF](http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/reprint/181/7/4545.pdf)

8.  Waalkes MP, Liu J, Germolec DR, Trempus CS, Cannon RE, Tokar EJ,
    Tennant RW, Ward JM, Diwan BA. Arsenic exposure in utero exacerbates
    skin cancer response in adulthood with contemporaneous distortion of
    tumor stem cell dynamics. Cancer Res. 2008 Oct 15;68(20):8278-85.
    [HTML](http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/68/20/8278)
    [PDF](http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/68/20/8278.pdf)

9.  Hartz AM, Bauer B, Block ML, Hong JS, Miller DS. Diesel exhaust
    particles induce oxidative stress, proinflammatory signaling, and
    P-glycoprotein up-regulation at the blood-brain barrier. FASEB J.
    2008 Aug;22(8):2723-33.
    [HTML](http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/full/22/8/2723)
    [PDF](http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/reprint/22/8/2723.pdf)

10. Donohue KM, Al-alem U, Perzanowski MS, Chew GL, Johnson A, Divjan A,
    Kelvin EA, Hoepner LA, Perera FP, Miller RL. Anti-cockroach and
    anti-mouse IgE are associated with early wheeze and atopy in an
    inner-city birth cohort. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008
    Nov;122(5):914-20.
    [HTML](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=19000580)
    [PDF](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=2590748&blobtype=pdf)

11. Brown KH, Schultz IR, Cloud JG, Nagler JJ. Aneuploid sperm formation
    in rainbow trout exposed to the environmental estrogen
    17{alpha}-ethynylestradiol. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Dec
    16;105(50):19786-91.
    [HTML](http://www.pnas.org/content/105/50/19786.full)
    [PDF](http://www.pnas.org/content/105/50/19786.full.pdf+html)

12. Wallace K, Kelsey KT, Schned A, Morris JS, Andrew AS, Karagas MR.
    Selenium and risk of bladder cancer: a population-based case-control
    study. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Jan;2(1):70-3.
    [HTML](http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/2/1/70)
    [PDF](http://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/2/1/70.pdf)

13. Perera F, Li TY, Zhou ZJ, Yuan T, Chen YH, Qu L, Rauh VA, Zhang Y,
    Tang D. Benefits of reducing prenatal exposure to coal-burning
    pollutants to children\'s neurodevelopment in China. Environ Health
    Perspect. 2008 Oct;116(10):1396-400.
    [HTML](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18941584)
    [PDF](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=2569101&blobtype=pdf)

14. Garantziotis S, Li Z, Potts EN, Kimata K, Zhuo L, Morgan DL, Savani
    RC, Noble PW, Foster WM, Schwartz DA, Hollingsworth JW. Hyaluronan
    mediates ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in mice. J Biol
    Chem. 2009 Jan 21. \[Epub ahead of print\]
    [PDF](http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/M802400200v1.pdf)

    **[Institute Highlights and Milestones]{.underline}**

-   "Genetic Susceptibility to Air Pollution Outcome Models: Approaches
    to Translation of Cariopulmonary Animal Disease Models," workshop
    focused on improving research related to susceptibility to
    respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes, held at NIEHS Sept. 4-5,
    2008.

-   Cincinnati Town Meeting: "Your Home, Your Health, Your Voice,"
    hosted by NIEHS and University of Cincinnati, Sept. 15, 2008.

-   NIEHS, with NIDA, NIDDK, and OPASI, announced Sept. 29, 2008,
    funding for the new NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program that will invest
    more than \$190 million over the next five years to accelerate this
    emerging field of biomedical research.

-   NIEHS announced on Sept. 16, 2008, that it will award three new
    grants totaling \$21.25 million over a five-year period to study how
    environmental factors contribute to the cause, prevention and
    treatment of Parkinson's Disease and related disorders.

-   NIEHS chaired organizing committee and co-chaired workshop:
    "Environmental risks of respiratory disease". Indo-US Joint Working
    Group on Environment and Occupational Health. Chandigarh, India.
    September, 2008 ( Co-sponsored by NIEHS, NICHD, CDC, EPA, American
    Thoracic Society, Health Effects Institute and the Indian Council
    for Medical Research)

-   NIEHS organized and chaired workshop in Bethesda MD ( NIH campus)
    entitled "Environmental Systems of Public Health" cosponsored by
    NIEHS, NICHD, OBSSR and NCI. September 2008.

-   NIEHS co-sponsored International Environmental Nanotechnology
    Conference: Applications and Implications was cosponsored by the
    NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program, Oct. 7-9, 2008.

-   Implications for Safety and Health Training in a Green Economy, a
    workshop sponsored by the NIEHS Worker Education and Training
    Program, Oct. 16-17, 2008.

-   Central and Eastern European Conference on Health and the
    Environment: The Environment -- A Platform for Health, a workshop
    cosponsored by the NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program, Oct.
    19-22, 2008, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

-   P30 Core Center Director's Meeting, Oct. 19-21, 2008, a meeting of
    the leadership of the twenty Environmental Health Sciences Core
    Centers from around the nation, to discuss gene-environment
    interactions with regard to emerging research, disease risk, and
    public health.

-   Dioxin Toxicity: Mechanisms, Models, and Potential Health Risks, a
    NIEHS SBRP cosponsored event, Oct. 20-21, at Michigan State
    University.

-   5^th^ Annual Early Exposures Meeting, a conference on the emerging
    topics in breast cancer and the environment research conducted at
    NIEHS co-sponsored centers, Nov. 13-14, 2008, in Birmingham,
    Alabama.

-   Expert Panel on Cobalt-Tungsten Carbide Powders and Hardmetal, Dec.
    9-10, 2008, in Chapel Hill, provided a National Toxicology Program
    forum open to public comment, regarding whether these metals should
    be listed in the 12^th^ Report on Carcinogens.

-   Samuel Wilson, M.D., and Jerry Yakel, Ph.D., senior scientists at
    NIEHS, were named 2008 Fellows by the American Association for the
    Advancement of Sciences at their annual meeting in December.

-   The NTP Board of Scientific Counselors met Nov. 20, 2008, and voted
    to accept three working group reports on the establishment of new
    criteria for future NTP immunotoxicology, reproductive, and
    developmental studies. The criteria are similar to those used with
    the agency's cancer studies which are based on five levels of
    evidence ranging from clear evidence to no evidence, and inadequate
    study.

-   Recipients of the Outstanding New Environmental Scientists (ONES)
    awards presented their work at a meeting Dec. 11, 2008, in Rodbell
    Auditorium. The awards recognize and seek to advance the careers of
    outstanding junior investigators.

-   The National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors will
    meet Feb. 24, 2009, to peer review five draft substance profiles for
    candidate substances under consideration for listing in the 12^th^
    Report on Carcinogens.

-   Off-campus satellite office space for NIEHS has been consolidated
    from two buildings in locations further from the main campus to one,
    three-story structure, the Keystone Building, about a mile away.
    This improves the access of these staff members to each other and
    makes their commute to the main campus shorter. The move was
    accomplished between late November and mid January.

-   Samuel Wilson, M.D., who has served as Acting Director for NIEHS and
    NTP over past months, has elected to return to laboratory work
    fulltime, in the DNA Repair and Nucleic Acid Enzymology group within
    the Laboratory of Structural Biology of our Division of Intramural
    Research. His work on behalf of the Institute in a very challenging
    time is deeply appreciated by the new Director and the entire
    Institute staff.

    **[Legislative Report]{.underline}**

    **FY 2009 Appropriations**

    A chart showing the FY 2009 appropriations numbers is shown on the
    following page.

During December Senate and House members and staff negotiated the marks
for the nine appropriations bills that have not been passed by the
Congress. When those numbers are released, they will be considered by
the House and Senate as though they were Conference Committee marks.
Indications are that the Labor, HHS Subcommittee mark for NIH is between
the House and Senate marks---a plus for NIEHS.

**National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences**

**11 July 2008**

**FY 2009 Marks**

**FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2009 FY 2009**

**[Comparable CAA Mark + Supp President's Request House Subcommittee
Senate Subcommittee]{.underline}**

**NIEHS^1^ \$ 642,002,000 \$ 645,669,000 \$ 642,875,000 \$ 664,980,000
\$ 660,767,000**

**NIH^1^ \$ 28,899,887,000 \$ 29,379,524,000^2^ \$ 29,229,524,000^7^
\$30,379,524,000 \$ 30,254,524,000**

**Common Fund^1^ \$ 483,000,000 \$ 498,244,000 \$ 533,877,000 \$
544,146,000 \$ 568,119,000**

**Superfund^3^ \$ 79,117,000 \$ 77,546,000 \$ 77,546,000 \$
78,074,000^5^**

**DOE Training^4^ \$ 9,819,369 \$ 9,909,000 \$ 10,000,000**

**^1^**Funding authorized by the Public Health Service Act and falls
under the jurisdiction of the Labor, HHS, ED and related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittees. The FY 2008 marks include \$3,416,000 for
NIEHS, \$150,000,000 for NIH, and \$2,636,000 for the Common Fund from
the first FY 2008 supplemental to be used for scientific research.

**^2^**This amount includes \$295,000,000 for the Global AIDS Fund
transfer and \$983,000 for the HHS Autism Transfer.

**^3^**Funding authorized by the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act of 1986 and falls under the jurisdiction of the
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees.
Neither the House nor the Senate Report designates the amount of funding
for the NIEHS Superfund Research or Worker Training Programs. In the FY
2009 Congressional Justification sent to the Congress by OMB, the FY
2008 CAA Mark and FY 2009 President's Request for research are \$
49,629,000 and for worker training \$27,917,000.

**^4^**The Department of Energy (DOE) is required by Congressional
mandate to provide training to people who cleanup DOE sites. Rather than
establish its own program, DOE transfers the funding to NIEHS to manage
the DOE Worker Training Program. The Energy and Water Appropriations
Subcommittees have jurisdiction.

^5^The House Subcommittee earmarked the \$528,000 increase for the NIEHS
Superfund Worker Training Program. I have not seen any documents
confirming this number.

^6^I have not seen any documents confirming this number.

**^7^**This amount includes \$300,000,000 for Global AIDS.

**FY 2009 Stimulus**

The House Appropriations Committee released a summary of their stimulus
bill. It provides \$2 billion for NIH, including \$1.5 billion for
expanding good jobs in biomedical research to study diseases such as
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer and heart disease, and \$500 million to
implement the repair and improvement strategic plan developed by the NIH
for its campuses. The bill has been passed by the House and has been
under consideration by the Senate as of this writing.

**FY 2010 Appropriations**

The President's Request for FY 2010 is expected to go to the Hill in
April.

**Breast Cancer -- S. 579 and H.R. 1157**

In September, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up and
reported H.R. 1157. The amended bill was passed by the Congress in
September and signed by the President on 8 Oct 2008. (P.L. 110-354)

The new law establishes the Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental
Research Coordinating Committee (Committee) to coordinate information on
existing activities related to breast cancer and environmental research
and make recommendations to the National Institutes of Health and other
Federal Agencies on how to improve existing research programs. While the
focus of the Coordinating Committee is breast cancer and environmental
research, this focus should not be interpreted in a way that would
preclude the Committee from taking into account the important role of
basic and other cancer research in advancing understanding of the
etiology of breast cancer.

The Committee shall (1) share and coordinate information on existing
research activities and make recommendations to the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) and other Federal agencies by identifying research gaps
and scientific opportunities to improve existing research programs
related to the environmental causes of breast cancer; (2) develop a
comprehensive strategy and advise the NIH and other Federal agencies in
the solicitation of proposals for collaborative, multidisciplinary
research, including proposals to evaluate environmental and genomic
factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer; (3)
develop a summary of advances in breast cancer research supported or
conducted by Federal agencies relevant to the diagnosis, prevention, and
treatment of cancer and other diseases and disorders; and (4) make
recommendations to the Secretary regarding any appropriate changes to
research activities, to ensure that federal research activities are free
of duplication of effort, how to increase the involvement of patient
advocacy and community organizations, how to best disseminate
information on breast cancer research progress, and how to expand
partnerships between public and private entities to expand
collaborative, cross-cutting research.

Membership includes seven federal officials (CDC, NIH, DoD, and others
as deemed appropriate), six members who are scientists, physicians, or
other health professionals, and six members of the public who represent
people with breast cancer.

In addition, P.L. 110-354 authorizes \$40 million to carry out research
to evaluate environmental and genomic factors that may be related to the
etiology of breast cancer. (This is an authorization only and does not
mean that the funds have been appropriated.) Research on other forms of
cancer may be included when doing so may advance research in breast
cancer or advance research in other forms of cancer.

**[NIH/Building 1 Information and Updates]{.underline}**

**NIH Governance**

[Biennial Report of the Director]{.underline}

NIH released the first Biennial Report of the Director in January 2009
and it provides an integrated portrait of NIH research activities. The
report makes it easier for Congress, advocates and patient groups, and
the general public to understand the many programs within the agency.

The report contains an assessment of the state of biomedical and
behavioral research organized by disease category, investigative
approach, or resource. To ensure that the document reflects the work of
all 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs), 15 trans-NIH teams gathered,
reviewed, and organized information into a standardized format. The
report is available at <http://report.nih.gov/biennialreport/>

[Peer Review]{.underline}

In March 2008, NIH released the final report on the new peer review
process, which identified the most significant challenges and proposed
recommendations that would enhance the peer review system. The areas of
implementation are organized into the following four priority areas: 1)
Engage the best reviewers; 2) Improve the quality and transparency of
review; 3) ensure balanced and fair reviews across scientific fields and
reduce administrative burden; and 4) continuous evaluation of peer
review. The NIH will begin implementing changes in the Fiscal Year 2010
funding cycle. Investigators submitting applications in January 2009 and
later should be aware of the following new policies. Changes to the peer
review process for both reviewers and applicants can be found at:
<http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov/>

[New Investigator Policies]{.underline}

New Investigator policies, stemming from the NIH Enhancing Peer Review
Initiative have been revised along with a new policy announcement. Under
this new policy, the NIH intends to support New Investigators at success
rates comparable to those for established investigators submitting new
applications. Early Stage Investigators (ESIs), should comprise a
majority of the New Investigators supported. In addition, New
Investigator applications will be clustered during review whenever
possible.
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-013.html>

**Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
(DPCPSI)**

The Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic
Initiatives (pronounced Dee-Poughkeepsie) has now been established as
mandated in the 2006 NIH Reform Act. It encompasses the former OPASI
(the Office of Program Analysis and Strategic Initiatives) as well as
the Offices of AIDS Research, Disease Prevention, Behavioral and Social
Sciences Research, and the Office of Research on Women's Health. DPCPSI
has lead roles for the NIH Roadmap, the NIH Council of Councils, and the
Research, Condition and Disease Categorization project, and for
facilitating and reporting on trans-NIH collaborations.

[Research, Condition and Disease Categorization (RCDC)]{.underline}

In January 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the
public Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) website:
<http://report.nih.gov/rcdc/> RCDC begins a new process for providing
detailed funding information for 215 major areas using knowledge
management and computerized, standardized tools. The RCDC process was
initiated at the request of Congress to provide consistent and
transparent NIH research funding information. For the first time,
project listings and the associated dollar amounts are available to the
public. By clicking on each of the categories, the user can access full
project listings for that category and view, print, or download the
detailed report. The RCDC webpage is part of the RePORT website (see
paragraph about RePORT below).

[Transformative R01 Program]{.underline}

The NIH announced a new Roadmap program, titled the Transformative R01
Program (T-R01s), designed to attract the development of highly
creative, paradigm-busting, "out-of-the-box" projects. Special areas of
Highlighted Need have been identified for the program. The NIH
recognizes that new paradigms are needed in these areas and will
strongly encourage research that addresses these needs. The broad topics
highlighted in this endeavor include:

-   Understanding and Facilitating Human Behavior Change

-   Complex 3-D Tissue Models

-   Functional Variation in Mitochondria in Human Disease

-   Transition from Acute to Chronic Pain

-   Formulation of Novel Protein Capture Reagents

-   Providing an Evidence Base for Pharmacogenomics

    [Pioneer Award Program]{.underline}

The NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program is a unique aspect of the NIH
Roadmap for Medical Research, a high-risk research initiative of
Research Teams of the Future. Pioneer Awards are designed to support
individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose pioneering
-- and possibly transforming approaches - to major challenges in
biomedical and behavioral research. The recent award recipients, the
2009 request for applications and program announcement can all be found
at this website: <http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/index.aspx>

**Office of Extramural Research (OER)**

[NIH Offers New Research Portfolio On-Line Reporting Tool
(RePORT)]{.underline}

The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) has posted its new website
and on-line reporting tool, RePORT. This is valuable tool for those
searching for data and analyses of NIH research programs and activities,
as well as links to CRISP, a glossary of reporting terminology, FAQs,
and more. RePORT also provides a detailed listing of funding
information, called Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization
(RCDC), as mentioned above in the DPCPSI section. More about the RePORT
website can be found at <http://report.nih.gov/>

[Adobe Application Forms]{.underline}

Transition to Adobe officially began on December 5, 2008, when NIH
updated more than 500 active Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)
with Adobe-based application packages and closed their PureEdge
predecessors. The new Adobe forms are required for submission for most
receipt dates in January and beyond. This transition means submissions
will be electronic and integrated with Grant.gov's centralized website.

[Maintaining Objectivity in Research -- Conflict of Interest
Information]{.underline}

The NIH, in collaboration with grantee institutions and with its
employees, works to maintain the highest standard of objectivity in all
its research endeavors. Correspondingly, various measures have been
instituted to address extramural Financial Conflicts of Interest (FCOI)
issues quickly and carefully. An expanded FAQ document has been posted
about the relevant regulations on the OER website -
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coifaq.htm> - and a Web-based
Tutorial will soon published, which will thoroughly review the roles and
responsibilities of the NIH, awardee Institutions, and Investigators.
Also, a Web-based reporting and tracking tool that provides a central
place for collection of all FCOI reports received across the NIH will
improve monitoring of FCOI reports.

[Medical Research with Animals: For Researchers and
Institutions]{.underline}

A NIH website has been developed to support NIH-funded scientists using
animal models. The url for this website is:
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/air/researchers_institutions.htm>
The new website is a resource for researchers, and institutions that use
animals in NIH-supported science; it provides guidance for preparedness
and crisis management by researchers and institutions; and it also
provides quick access to funding opportunities focused on animals in
research, resources to assist with grant writing, and training and
education for animal care and use, models, and science and ethics. A
sister site designed for the general public is set to be launched in the
near future.

**Other Items of Interest**

[Science of Eliminating Health Disparities]{.underline}

December 2008 - The NIH Summit: The Science of Eliminating Health
Disparities explored how the integration of Science, Practice, and
Policy furthered this research agenda. More than 4000 scientists,
practitioners, and community members showcased the collective
contribution of the NIH in the development of new knowledge in the
science of eliminating health disparities.
<http://nexus.od.nih.gov/nexus/nexus.aspx?ID=185&Month=12&Year=2008>

[NIH Research Radio and Podcasts]{.underline}

NIH Research Radio features in-depth interviews with NIH scientists and
grantees discussing the latest research findings, educational campaigns,
consumer-orientated features, and results from Consensus and State of
the Science conferences. Each program runs approximately 30 minutes. NIH
Research Radio, which is currently ranked among iTunes Top 100 Medicine
Podcasts, is updated every other Friday. Go to
<http://www.nih.gov/news/radio/nihpodcast.htm> to subscribe to the RSS
news feed or listen to podcast via your computer. For more information,
contact Joseph Balintfy at 301-496-7246.