Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
Dr. Fauci opened the Thursday afternoon, February 17th, session of Council by welcoming visitors to the 134th meeting.
He announced the appointment of five new Council members: Dr. William Jacobs; Dr. Richard Koup; Dr. John Martin, Dr. Magdalene So; and Ms. Thelma Thiel.
Dr. Fauci welcomed the ad hoc Council members: Dr. Raif Ahmed, Professor and Director, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University; and Dr. Susan Swain, Director and Edward C. Brewster Chair, Trudeau Institute.
Consideration of Minutes of Previous Meeting:
The minutes of the September 2-3, 2000 meeting were considered and approved as written.
Staff and Organizational Changes:
Dr. Fauci welcomed two new branch chiefs to the Institute and acknowledged the appointment of several staff members to new positions. The new branch chiefs are Dr. Susan Plaeger, chief of the Pathogenesis and Basic Research Branch, DAIDS and Dr. Susan Pierce, chief of the Laboratory of Immunogenetics, DIR. The new appointments include: Dr. Paolo Miotti as chief of the Epidemiology Branch, DAIDS; Dr. Jonathan Kagan as acting associate director for scientific program development in the Office of the Director, DAIDS; Dr. Pamela McInnes as acting deputy directory, DMID; and Dr. Ann Ginsberg as acting chief of the Respiratory Diseases Branch, DMID. In addition, Dr. Fauci acknowledged the retirement of Dr. George Curlin, a long-time staff member of DMID who was serving, most recently, as the acting deputy director of that division.
Review of Operating Procedures for FY 2000:
Budget Update:
Dr. Fauci told Council that NIH received a "very favorable" budget increase in FY 2000 -- 14.2 percent over FY 1999, with NIAID gaining 14.4 percent. Research projects remain the same percentage of the NIAID budget, at 69.1 percent, while contracts increase because of the tolerance network and malaria vaccine initiatives. The large budget increase allows NIAID to modify its financial management plan, eliminating programmatic reductions and restoring cuts made to the selective pay and bridge award programs as well as several initiatives. NIAID's success rate in FY 2000 is expected to be 33 percent.
Other
Strategic Plan:
Dr. Fauci announced the availability of the NIAID strategic plan on the NIAID home page at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/strategicplan/pdf/splan.pdf. He indicated that it is the result of a yearlong process that included substantial input from a wide range of people. Further, he noted that the final plan was submitted to Dr. Varmus on December 31, as scheduled, and that it will become an extension of the Institute's planning process.
Committee Report - NAAIDC Liaison to OAR Advisory Committee - Janice Giorgi, Ph.D.:
Dr. Giorgi reported that the Committee met on October 14 and 15 and covered several topics, including the therapeutic agenda of the Adult ACTG, the potential for HIV eradication, and immune reconstitution. It also looked into the proposed restructuring of initial review groups at the Center for Scientific Review. The AIDS IRG will probably be retained.
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 |