National Institutes of Health
Barbara Alving, director of the National Institutes doomed of Health (NIH) National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) announced earlier this week that she resign at the end of September.
The decision Alving to resign after six years in charge of NCRR is no surprise. The center of $ 1.3 billion, which funds biomedical resources such as large instruments and animal models, is scheduled to have its programs distributed among the other NIH institutes, on 1 October under a controversial plan by the NIH Director Francis Collins to establish a National Centre for the advancement of translational sciences (NCATS). Alving was one of many scientists who opposed the reorganization, arguing that it would be more logical to extend NCRR instead of scrapping it completely.
Alving said Science Insider she's leaving now because it has completed its "major goals", including the establishment of translational and clinical science major support scholarships, grants set up 5 years ago to support -to-bedside research bench in major academic medical centers. This program, which replaced a popular clinical research program, offers lessons for how reorganizations should be performed, Alving suggests. "Many voters are not happy," she said. But "there was a lot of discussion, a lot of buy-in. ... There was a calendar, finances have been developed, we knew where the funding would come, Congress has kept its part of the agreement. "
These things" not done optimally "with the current reorganization NIH, she said. NIH "tried to get community buy-in" of stakeholders NCRR but only "after the fact."
But Alving stresses that the disappearance of NCRR is not guaranteed. The Congress should not pass a . draft 2012 spending legislation for NIH October 1 the Committee of the House of representatives that funds NIH questioned the reorganization, although Senate budgeteers are more favorable, the 2012 budget of the NIH may liquidate part of a continuing resolution, a bill that extends the funding a year earlier. legislators should carve out an exception to dissolve and create NCATS NCRR. "I actually think NCRR will continue for an indefinite period of time," says Alving.
The uncertainty left in limbo NCRR members of staff who have been told they will spend their programs to other institutions, but have not received individual assignments. farewell note Alving advises them to "keep calm and carry on."
Alving, 65, is a hematologist who served as deputy and acting director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI ) and also led health Initiative of the woman before she comes to NCRR, first as acting director. she now plans to explore opportunities in health and global consultation, she said.
Two days after announcing Monday Alving, Collins published an NIH notes across its appreciation for "his unconditional service" at NIH and "his dedication and commitment." NCRR Deputy Director Louise Ramm will become acting director NCRR.
The resignation of Alving adds several NIH director positions. Anthonio Scarpa, director of the Center for Scientific Review, leaves later this month. Scarpa said the NIH staff at the end of July he was leaving in part to make room for someone who will "better reflect the [NIH] vision and the director of management style." NIH is working on a statement by Collins on the starting Scarpa, the press office said NIH. And Jeremy Berg, head of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH left in June; no replacement has yet been named.
The NHLBI also lacked a permanent director since Elizabeth Nabel left at the end of 09. That's five of the 27 institutes and centers of the NIH soon be without a permanent leader. (The fifth vacancy to the Information Technology Center, the center of the IT campus of NIH.)
* This article has been updated to reflect the fact that even if Alving was the director of NCRR since 07, it began as acting director in 05, and was therefore in charge of NCRR for 6 years and not 4 years.
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